


Wanderer One

by Kaillingme (Setty94)



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Planet, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space, Biology, Bioluminescence, Blood and Violence, Love Triangles, M/M, Minor Character Death, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Survival, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-26 05:41:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 71,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12052494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setty94/pseuds/Kaillingme
Summary: After communication with the space station is lost, food supplies start running out and what was supposed to only be a month long data collection mission turns into a fight for survival. With a greater danger lurking just outside their bunker, things become dire and orders must be disobeyed. Jongin and Baekhyun soon discover just what it means to fear for their lives and somewhere in the midst of all this they still learn just how much they mean to each other.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Wow okay so this is the first fest I signed up for and it has been nothing but an amazing journey from start to finish. This fic is perhaps the first work I have completed that I feel proud of. It was created from countless late-nights researching, several avatar-writing-states and the support of my lovely friends. To my beta, I want to give you all the love for catching my errors and for assuring me throughout this fic. Without you, there are huge aspects of this fic that would not exist had you not called me out on it and guided me. I basically owe you my life. To my friend C, thank you for putting up with me constantly bugging you about this fic and for being there during those late nights and for encouraging me to keep going. Thank you for being my alpha reader and for giving me praise when I needed it most. I owe you my heart! To the Mods, thank you guys for answering all of my questions, giving me encouragement and for just being so gosh darn cute and amazing. You made this experience absolutely wonderful and I would not change a thing. Finally, to my readers, thank you for reading! I have been buzzing, waiting for you all to read this fic. It is my baby. Without you guys, I never would have come back to fandom nor have taken part in this fest. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Also pay close attention to the dates in order to prevent confusion. :)

##  **Prologue**

 

* * *

 

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05/15/20XX 08:36 AM KJI_Entry_44

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_[Screen flickers on. A young man with brown hair and a pale blue lab coat appears on-screen. His appearance is disheveled.]_

"Okay, today is..." he trailed off, his eyes flicked to the left of the screen. He had dark purple bruises from lack of sleep. "Today is day fourteen past our scheduled rendezvous. We still have not heard from Command or the relay shuttle for that matter.” He wiped a hand down his face and repeated, “It's been fourteen days since our scheduled pick up. Food supplies are negligent." He swallowed and then rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. He was quiet for a while. "Baekhyun and I are the only ones left,” his breath stuttered. "Kyungsoo went out yesterday for...something. He didn't tell us what." He bit his quivering lip.

 

_[Loud clanging is heard in the distance.]_

 

He flinched, face pinched in fear. His eyes moved rapidly, searching the area behind the screen. After a few moments, he returned his attention to the camera. "There's a solar storm --"

_[Off-screen a voice is heard.]_

 

"Jongin, we have to leave now!"

 

_[A frantic face blocks the screen, teeth biting his bottom lip. The shot freezes.]_

* * *

 

 

_Dear Mr. Kim Jongin,_

_SM Space Station wishes to extend a biological sciences career to you. You will be joining the top minds of Korea in space. Your supervisor will be Dr. Do Kyungsoo, PhD. Below you will find a detailed report of our amenities._

_SS SM is home to one of the most high tech and advanced observatories available in space. The observatory is a great dome made of the strongest quartz-glass available on earth. It is strong enough to handle intense heating and cooling without cracking. It is lined with reinforcement bars that also work as the tracks for the shields that are deployed during any emergency and guaranteed to keep all aboard safe._

_We also are home to the best telescope in any space station built. It extends outside of the observatory producing the cleanest and clearest images. There are two types of visual aids connected to the telescope. One is the holographic projector that responds to gestures and commands, giving detailed reports of what the telescope picks up. The other visual aid is a large screen. It is used primarily to display true colors of the images from the telescope._

_Aside from all the tools necessary for star-mapping and planetary discovery, the observatory level is also home to navigation. Fear not, for the navigation room is manned at all times and each tech works in shifts, maintaining the space station’s trajectory. You will see your Captain here._

_Below the Observatory level, follows the decks. These are where most people spend their time. A grand total of fifty decks are built into the space station, each specifically zoned for your safety and convenience._

_Decks one through twenty are living space only. They house all cabins, dining halls, leisure activities, and event halls. The cabins range from one room lofts, to spectacular six room abodes. The latter are reserved for high-powered officials and famous visitors. Only the most VIP individuals are allowed to step foot inside. The rest of the crew - over 600 people - live in the standard cabins, fitted with everything a person could need for a comfortable stay. You will be housed in the biological sciences zone. They feature one bedroom, one sitting room, and one bathroom fitted with a standing shower and a rainfall shower-head.  Our dining halls are large and spacious. Meals are dispensed on demand 24/7. There are several pools available on the station and a few mini-golf courses for your leisure._

_Decks twenty-one through twenty-four are strictly for medical and scientific research use. They house operation theaters, outpatient and inpatient care, as well as the clinic and research facilities. These medical facilities are state-of-the-art and on the cutting edge of technology. Our research centers are accommodated with the best technology and resources available. They are where new discoveries happen. Just last year our scientists made 52 new discoveries. And we are sure that you will bring us many more. You will be primarily stationed here._

_Decks twenty-five through thirty-five are for food storage and growth. They house all animals, plants, and tools needed to take care of the needs for the people aboard. Food is grown in the greenhouses, and animals are given proper care and are treated humanely._

_Decks thirty-six through forty-five are for maintenance. They house all generators, air recycling and conditioning units, waste control, water purification, and general recycling centers._

_Decks forty-six through forty-eight are for authorized personnel only. They house most Senior Level offices and several atriums for meetings. Deck forty-nine is for waste expulsion and the last deck is for exit and entry._

_SM Space Station is accommodating to say the least, and any intellectual who is worth anything is striving to work there. Not only will you be provided with state-of-the-art amenities, but you will join our team of promising individuals. You will take part in countless new environments and once experienced enough, you may lead your own missions. To be welcomed aboard the SS SM is a privilege, a privilege we’d like to give to you. We hope to hear from you soon._

_\--LSM_

Jongin folded the letter shut and tucked it into the front of his suitcase. He could not believe he -- a freshly graduated student from his town’s biology doctorate program -- had received this offer. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and he was going to take it.

He turned and waved goodbye to his parents and younger sister once more before disappearing behind the door of the shuttle loading zone. The zone was very similar to that of a regular airport, with terminals, baggage checks and metal detectors. But Jongin had gone through all of that already, and having said goodbye to his parents (his family had not wanted to let him go, and it took a lot of tears and hugging for them to finally release him), the weight of the whole endeavor was settling over him.He knew he would eventually see his family again, he just was not sure when.

He tapped the mint-colored band around his wrist and a small screen was projected above it. A small moving picture of his family was displayed. He gazed upon their smiles as he walked down the busy walkway. He was going to miss them a lot, but it was time for him to leave the nest, to take on life as an individual.

After checking his bag in, he sat and waited, watching people as they made their own journeys, leaving the shuttle and boarding. He briefly wondered what their lives were like before they came here-- If they, too, were just returning from their first trips to the space station, or if it was just business as usual. In the distance, he saw another potential prospect like himself, staring at his own holographic screen with a wistful expression. Longing squeezed his heart for a moment as he could sense the kindred spirit in their expression. He looked off to the side, taking in more people loading the shuttle with bags. His mind wandered.

This was the first time he would be away from home. He had gone to school in his home town and lived with his family the entire time, so this whole adventure was going to be a huge culture shock.He hoped that he would make friends, because this last year he spent in the doctorate program had been so competitive that the majority of his colleagues had distanced themselves from each other. It led to many a lonely night and Jongin didn’t want that.

Then, he remembered that he would be able to see his boyfriend at the station. They had met briefly during one of Chanyeol's visits back to Earth and hit it off instantly. after five months apart, the idea of being able to spend some time together quelled any anxiety that Jongin was feeling.

Overhead, a voice came over the speakers, directing those with the same ticket as Jongin to begin boarding the shuttle. He stood, once more checking on the moving portrait of his family before sighing. It was now or never. He followed the line of people onto the shuttle and handed off his suitcase to the worker. Everything was becoming more and more real with each step he took. Crossing through the door sent vibrations down his spine as his anticipation rocketed. He still could not believe that this was happening.

He followed the crew member direction people to their seats and was securely strapped in. The paranoid part of his mind needed to be sure, so, he tugged at the belts, double checking their effectiveness. He had never even flown before, let alone ridden in a shuttle, but he knew the take off was going to be rough. Satisfied with the snugness of the belts, he glanced around, eyes dancing with excitement. He was about to embark on one of the most important adventures of his life. Joining forces with the SS SM would pave the path of his future.


	2. January 27th, 20XX

##  **January 27th, 20XX**

* * *

Jongin watched Kyungsoo stroll up the steps with curiosity. Today marked one full month aboard the SS SM. While he was still green to many of the ways of the ship, he was quickly getting used to it. There were weekly forums for each of the fields to pitch an idea to the mission’s committee. They did this in the hopes of getting funded to pursue their research. This week happened to be biology, Jongin's specialty. He drummed his fingers on his thigh while he waited for everyone else to file into the room.

He glanced at the door, just in time to catch Chanyeol walk in. They shared an uncomfortably long stare before Chanyeol's eyes flicked away. An amalgamation of emotions stirred in him. First, it was shock, then, a stab of pain followed, and both of those were rounded up by dread. He hated that things were like this now, but there was nothing he could do about it. So, Jongin watched him, hoping he would not sit next to him, and breathed a sigh of relief when the brunette took a seat a few rows away.

Things had been awkward between them after their very public break up. Much to Jongin’s dismay, his heart still flipped in his chest when he saw him. Old habits died hard, and Jongin was no exception. All the excitement he had for being able to spend time with him was dashed to the ground. It wasn't as though Chanyeol had cheated on him, it was just that sometimes some relationships worked better with some distance in them and suddenly being in close contact had brought up both of their flaws. Jongin found it sad that their differences were irreconcilable, but that was how life was sometimes, so he just had to deal with it.

Luckily, on the SS SM, they hardly saw each other due to their busy schedules, and the fact that they worked on separate floors and housed in different sections. Not to mention that each day was getting better, and Jongin knew that eventually they could be friends. But for now, he kept his distance and prayed that Chanyeol would do the same. Besides, he had his work to focus on, and was gunning for a position under Dr. Do Kyungsoo.

A commotion by the door interrupted his thoughts. Then, the sound of someone hitting the floor followed by a groan piqued his interest. Jongin turned and saw another one of his colleagues brushing himself off, apologizing profusely under his breath. He found it endearing that he felt the need to apologize when everyone else had already looked away and were focusing on their own private discussions once more. It was something Jongin would do, quite honestly. When their eyes met, Jongin was able to tell who it was. Baekhyun's face grew bright red. Jongin looked away quickly, giving him some privacy, and watched as the screen at the front turned on.

The lights dimmed. Jongin could barely contain his excitement. His toes curled in his shoes and he started bouncing his leg. He had been itching to witness one of Kyungsoo’s legendary forums in person ever since he boarded the station. He had only seen him in videos giving his various addresses and lectures to fellow biology doctorate candidates, and if those were enough to enrapture him, Jongin could only imagine how captivated he would be by the end of the hour.

The screen came to life, flashing white first, and then black dotted with small twinkling stars. Kyungsoo stood poised at the podium. His red hair was cut short on the sides and the top was stylishly long. A pair of thin-framed round glasses sat on his nose. He unclasped his hands and pointed to the screen as it zoomed in on an alien planet with bruise colored clouds engulfing it. Jongin watched, awestruck.

"This is planet PSO J218.5-22." Kyungsoo pointed to the giant gaseous planet on the screen. The clouds swirled violently. Some bands were going in opposite directions, while others formed 'eyes' much like those on the planet Jupiter. "Or as we like to call it, Wanderer One." He gave a curt smile. "It is a part of the Beta Pictoris moving group, and contrary to widespread belief, it supports life. Now, this was thought to be impossible due to the fact that it does not belong to a star, but our probes have indicated a myriad of flora and fauna despite the planet not having a light source."

The hissing of whispers and poorly concealed private conversations erupted, and Jongin found himself listening in. Life on a planet without a sun? That was practically unheard of, and yet, looking at the pictures of complex and intelligent life on the screen was irrefutable proof. Life always seemed to find a way, but, a discovery such as this was going to be funded without a doubt. All the prospects and possible new discoveries to be uncovered were too good for any respecting member of the board to pass up. Kyungsoo had to know this, because he was so calm as he pitched. Jongin could only lean back in his seat in awe. This mission wouldn’t just be a once in a lifetime chance, but a chance to experience an ark of life untouched by the influence of a star.

The screen flicked to a few images of bioluminescent life forms. They were completely unlike anything Jongin had seen before. There were low-resolution videos of strange elephant-like creatures with bulbous tips at the end of their trunks and a lizard like tail dragging behind them. Everyone grew silent as they watched.

The mammoth creatures were gathered in a large group of maybe twenty or so, Jongin was not sure, but they seemed peaceful. It was obvious that they were organized in some type of community, and that was already enough to make any respecting scientist froth.  The next picture showed an animal resembling a Komodo Dragon, with a long narrow head and a darting glowing tongue. Iit also shared some attributes of felines with its long lithe body. Lining it’s shiny body were red dashes of glowing light. It moved stealthily, it’s haunches rising and falling like that of a panther. The clip ended there, and everyone looked at each other with wide eyes, all shining with interest.

Kyungsoo continued, "You see, on this planet of perpetual night, life found a way to adapt and grow. However, our probes have only been able to discover so much information, so I am proposing a manned mission to this planet."

The room exploded into discussion. Jongin glanced to his left and caught Baekhyun staring at him. He hadn't noticed that he was sitting next to him, but, he gave him a soft smile and leaned over.

"A manned mission to a Wanderer? Is he insane?"

It was his attempt at small-talk. Not that he wanted to bad-mouth the mission or Kyungsoo for that matter, but when his nerves got the best of him, he tended to blurt out whatever thought came to mind first. Despite his excitement over the possible discoveries, the idea of a manned mission was daunting, and so it was those thoughts that came out first.

Baekhyun let out a low laugh and nodded. "Yeah, we haven't had one of those since the SS YG lost half its crew." His voice sent a tingle of sparks through Jongin’s nerves.

Jongin had to catch himself. Not even half an hour ago was he moping over Chanyeol, but a little attention from Baekhyun had him feeling unreasonably nervous. He suddenly found it hard to look at him straight-on, as more than a few seconds of that smile had left him dazzled. He glanced to the screen. It was slowly fading from pictures of animals and plants to pictures of the planet’s swirling atmosphere.

Thankfully, Kyungsoo was speaking again. "I, of course, will volunteer myself as the Senior coordinator for this trip and will attend personally." He wet his lips before he continued, "I will open a volunteer forum for those who wish to accompany me."

Jongin found himself smiling, but as he looked around, the smile died on his lips. No one else had the same look of wonderment on their faces. Instead, they looked grim -- stark reminders of how dangerous a mission like this would be. He understood that the risk would be dire, but studying alien life up close and personal was a once in a lifetime experience for Jongin. He was torn. The whispers in the crowd grew louder as the anxiety of the room increased. Jongin felt his neck begin to tense as the stinging pain of stress seeped in, locking his muscles.

Kyungsoo’s voice brought his attention back to the stage. "The trip itself will take eight weeks. Two weeks of travel to Wanderer One. Four on the planet for data collection, and two weeks of travel back to the SS SM. Those of you that choose to partake will be renown throughout the universe." Kyungsoo looked out into the crowd, his eyes scanning and his demeanor calm. He seemed unbothered by the stricken faces in the crowd and the harsh sound of the whispers.

Jongin watched him, still half-enamored by the speech. He wondered how Kyungsoo could remain so serene while everyone in the crowd spoke in hushed tones. He knew if he were the one on the podium, he’d have given up and let the pitch die the second the whispers started. He admired Kyungsoo for remaining unfazed by it all. Meanwhile, his mind ticked away at the cons the mission proposed.

The length of the mission posed a threat to their safety. The shuttle could only carry so many supplies so certain luxuries would be left behind. Plus, being on a rogue planet that long was unprecedented. Those were the major cons he could think of, aside from death, but every mission posed that. Space was unforgiving and alien planets were often hostile, so when signing up for such a mission, people knew that the chance of them returning alive was threatened.

In the midst of his thoughts, he felt the side of his face heat up. Baekhyun was looking at him again. Immediately, Jongin flushed and looked at his hands. Why was he getting so flustered by this man? Sure, he was cute, but Jongin wasn't usually this easily flustered. After gathering his bearings, he spoke, "What are the chances of people actually signing on for this? I mean, I know I'm still new, but even I am hesitant." Again, more small-talk, which meant more bad-mouthing the mission as his lips followed the lead of others around him. He mentally slapped himself.

Baekhyun shook his head and shrugged, frowning. "I don't know. I mean, the chances of anyone actually dying are around..." He tapped his chin with a long thin finger. His nails were immaculately kept, Jongin noticed. "Twenty-five percent. Not exactly low, but not the worst that SS SM has funded."

Jongin gave Baekhyun a bewildered look. He must've known more about the mission than everyone else to come up with the risk-factor so easily without having heard Kyungsoo say anything about it. He'd been to four forums now, so he supposed that he was not the most knowledgeable about them, but Baekhyun seemed so sure. He glanced towards his badge.

Baekhyun was head of both the IT Department and Mechanical Engineering Department, with a specialty in statistics. Okay then, that made sense. Not only was he cute, but he also had a hell of a set of brains to back it up. The more Jongin learned about him, the more he found himself wanting to know more.

Jongin turned back to Kyungsoo, mulling over what he had just learned. Kyungsoo was patiently standing on the stage,  face void of all emotion. He stood, hands clasped together, and continued to scan the group. His glasses were resting low on his nose, but he pushed them up.

"I understand the risk for this mission is high. So, of the volunteers I will need one apprentice for myself. One Senior Engineer, who may or may not take an apprentice. One Senior Chemist, and a handful of technicians from the Operations Department for navigation to and from Wanderer One. If there are casualties, I do not want them to be high. That is all."

The screen behind Kyungsoo went blank and the lights turned on. He walked across the stage and then paused. "If you'd like to join me on humanity's greatest manned mission, come by my office." He descended the steps and went out of the room. His shoes echoed loudly in the silence of his departure.

Everyone began speaking at once. Jongin looked around, catching bits and pieces of conversations. _'This is a death trip.' 'I bet it'll pay big money when we return.' 'If you return.' 'I don't know, I'm kind of interested.'_ Many of the comments he heard mirrored his own. He was definitely interested in going, but a large part of him was apprehensive. Still, he had wanted to work with Kyungsoo ever since he was young, and what better opportunity than a month long excursion? He was feeling so indecisive.

Jongin glanced towards Baekhyun, wanting to pick his brain. Baekhyun seemed to be levelheaded enough. "Your thoughts?" Jongin asked. His eyes kept traveling, trying to avoid Baekhyun’s gaze and he winced when he caught sight of Chanyeol behind him talking to another colleague. They looked cordial, but even that was enough to dredge up those feelings he had at the beginning of the forum.

"I don't know. It sounds like it could be a once in a lifetime chance for humans to successfully complete a manned mission to a rogue planet... or a complete disaster." He fidgeted with the bottom of his tie with both hands.

Jongin stared at him, then back to Chanyeol. The longer he watched, the more his heart ached. He spoke without looking Baekhyun in the eye. "You’re right." Then, he stood up, wanting so badly to leave the sight in front of him. It was becoming suffocating. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first button, trying to relieve some of the pressure the lump in his throat was creating. He could feel Baekhyun’s gaze on the patch of skin that was now exposed and it made his ears burn. “I’m going to volunteer.”

"What? Why?" Baekhyun stood up as well. He turned to follow Jongin's eyes and then turned back, confusion on his face.

Jongin gave him a wry smile, not wanting to give out specific details but also wanting to convey that his decision wasn't exactly science based. "I need a change of scenery."

"You've only been here a month," Baekhyun said. His cheeks grew red when Jongin frowned at him. Had Baekhyun been keeping track of how long he'd been here?

"That's long enough for me. Besides, I need to build my resume if I want to lead my own mission one day," Jongin said.

He gave Baekhyun a parting nod and pushed through the crowd. Several people made squawks of surprise as Jongin moved them aside.

But with the way his heart was pounding in his chest as he walked down the hallway to the lift, he knew deep inside that his intentions were pure. He wanted to get away from Chanyeol, for one, and despite the way Baekhyun left him flustered, his admiration of Kyungsoo was more than just for his many accolades. If there was ever a chance for him to get to know him more personally, this mission was it.

As the doors to the lift started to close, he heard a shout. "Hold the doors!"

Jongin looked up to find Baekhyun sprinting down the hall. Jongin put his arm out to stop the doors from closing and waited. Baekhyun was making slow progress down the hallway, as he was being entirely too polite, but it made Jongin smile a bit, as the act surprised him. He stepped forward, resting his back against junction of the doors as Baekhyun continued to half-jog down the hall, dodging coworkers and holding his tie from flopping up and down.

Baekhyun rushed in, face flushed and out of breath. He stood towards the front and Jongin walked around him to the back, leaning against the railing and hyper-aware of the fact that the two of them were now alone. Baekhyun pressed the button for the lower deck and gave Jongin a brief smile. "I'm volunteering too."

Jongin looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "What for?" He could smell Baekhyun's cologne. It was faint, but spicy. He shifted against the railing, the scent was making it hard to stand still. He wracked his mind, trying to figure out where he had last smelled it, but came up with nothing.

Outside, people wandered, some talking in small groups and others already engrossed in their work. From behind, Jongin reached forward and pressed the button to close the doors.

Baekhyun smiled, "Change of scenery."


	3. March 14th, 20XX

##  **March 14th, 20XX**

* * *

The loading deck was the lowest deck on the space station. It had two main entrances for returning and outgoing shuttles and a handful of small doors for pods and single-person envoys. It was busy at all times of the day and night with outgoing and returning missions and maintenance constantly on the move. There were several passageways from the main part of the station, each with garage-like doors that sealed with an airlock in emergencies.

Jongin stood in the middle of the loading deck wearing his space suit. It was a grayish-white with the Korean flag above his heart. He held the sleekly shaped helmet tucked under his arm as he watched various members of the crew load the shuttle.

They worked in teams, carrying heavy, tarp covered lab equipment and furniture. They were only going to have a temporary living site, so they were bringing the traveling suite of gadgets. Even so, it was still a lot to be loaded on the shuttle. Scientific discoveries required at the very least basic equipment.

The bustling atmosphere of the loading deck was incredibly distracting. Jongin didn't know where to look first and for a while, his eyes darted from person to person, briefly taking in what they were doing before moving on to the next person. He was feeling somewhat excited, but also a tad antsy. He kept shifting his weight from foot to foot as he looked around until he spied one person in particular.

Jongin watched as Kyungsoo pointed at the holographic map projecting from his armband. It showed Wanderer One spinning slowly on it's axis in small blue-green pixels. He splayed his fingers and the holomap zoomed. Then, he pointed at a marker and spoke to the navigator while he punctuated each direction with a flurry of gestures that controlled the holomap.

He too, was also dressed in his space suit. His helmet was attached, but the visor was up, only revealing his bespectacled face. His full lips puckered as he instructed the navigator. Jongin wondered what he was telling him, but the distance between them was too great for him to hear over the shouts of the loading deck crew getting the shuttles loaded.

A member from another crew passed in front of him and he stepped back to move out of his way. They weren't the only shuttle leaving today as another department had also been approved for an excursion. But, Jongin knew very little about that mission, so he mostly just stood and stared as everyone ran about. His eyes drifted back to Kyungsoo and he observed him blatantly. He knew he shouldn't stare, but Kyungsoo was the only stillness in all the commotion and it calmed him. For his first mission, this was certainly a hell of a wake-up call.

He was so caught up in watching Kyungsoo that it wasn't until he stumbled from the force of someone crashing into him, that he was brought out of the trap that was his mind. He rubbed his shoulder, pain blossoming over the tender area and wondered what on earth had hit him so hard.

It was Luhan, the Senior Chemist. His fawn colored hair was unstyled and he was out of breath from running. His cheeks were faintly rosy and his clothes were wrinkled. Jongin didn't really know him all that well other than the few brief meetings they had in the debriefing room, and all he learned about him from then was that he had recently returned from a different mission not too long ago and his specialty was chemistry.

"Ah, fuck! Sorry." Luhan rubbed the back of his neck, drawing Jongin attention to the fact that he was the only person on the loading deck not wearing a space suit.

"Why are you dressed down?" Jongin gestured to Luhan's apparel. He thought he was underprepared for his first mission, but it seemed like one of his fellow teammates had it much worse than him.

Luhan glanced around. "Ah Goddamnit! I knew I was forgetting something." He started backing up. "Tell Kyungsoo I'm running late." He turned and disappeared into the throng of people milling about around the entryway.

Jongin looked over at Kyungsoo and his heart thrummed. The holomap was gone and he was speaking in hushed tones to another crew member. Jongin took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Over the past few months he and Kyungsoo had gained a regular work-relationship. They spoke only about work, and only during the times they worked together. Well, sometimes they made small talk, but with the way Jongin’s mouth tended to act upon its own accord, he tried not to do that too often, lest he embarrass himself. Of course, Jongin wanted more, but for now he was happy with this.

Jongin approached Kyungsoo, dodging several of the shuttle loaders. He let out a nervous laugh and Kyungsoo looked up at him, eyes unblinking and face blank. He looked almost bored which shot a spike of anxiety through Jongin's veins. He suddenly was very aware that he was completely inexperienced in space missions and worried that when he opened his mouth something entirely _dumb_ would come out. He cleared his throat, telling himself that he could do this. He had to do this because he would be spending a lot of time with Kyungsoo and being starstruck would not help him in the slightest. "Um, Luhan said he's running late."

Kyungsoo snorted and rolled his eyes like it was something to be expected. "Typical Luhan." He eyed Jongin appreciatively and nodded at him. "Thank _you_ for being ready."

The acknowledgment made heat flower over Jongin’s cheeks. He was still very much smitten by Kyungsoo and receiving praise from him made him feel a bit like a toddler being told he was a good boy. "N-no problem." He tapped his boot clad foot on the ground to hopeful draw attention away from his face. "I'm really excited for this mission, Dr. Do."

Kyungsoo wrinkled his nose. "Call me Kyungsoo." He clapped a hand on Jongin's arm like it was the most natural thing in the world and smiled. "You've earned it." He then headed off towards a group of shuttle loaders struggling with a large rectangular shaped box.

Jongin stood there, a dumb grin on his face. He was still glowing on the inside and repeating Kyungsoo's words over and over in his head. He watched him order around a few more interns and techs before the grand scale of the mission hit him like a bucket of ice water being dumped over his head.

They were going to attempt to land and collect data on a rogue planet; something that had not been successfully done in the history of space exploration. Warning bells sounded in his mind and anxiety snaked through the sinews of his muscles. What was he getting himself into?

Pulling his lip between his teeth, Jongin fell into deep thought worrying about how well the mission would go, whether or not everyone would get along, and most importantly if he would make it back alive. Everyone moved around him, bustling and rushing to get the shuttle loaded.

Various shouts accosted his ears, but the longer he stared at the shuttle, the quieter the din became until it dwindled away thread by thread. He watched as two workers dropped a wrapped piece of furniture in silence, ears numb. The scene before him swayed a bit.

A whistling from behind him alerted him to Baekhyun's presence and he quietly chastised himself for letting his nerves get the best of him. He wanted to appear cool, calm, and collected, so he inhaled deeply and found his center. He felt Baekhyun's eyes before he turned towards him and Baekhyun came to a stop on his right.

Jongin smiled at him, happy to see a familiar face. They had only met each other a few times as well, mostly during the debriefing meeting much like Luhan, but unlike the chemist, Jongin had a tendency to run into Baekhyun a lot more in the hallways in between his work shifts. They had developed a comfortable correspondence and Jongin quite liked being around him.

"Hey, you ready?"

Baekhyun fiddled with the helmet he held in his hands, tossing it up and down in the air. He glanced at Jongin, bright eyed. "Yeah," He sighed. "But I'm going it alone."

Jongin raised an eyebrow. It was an odd thing to do. Luhan was bringing two techs and even Kyungsoo had one tech aside from him. Not that he was a tech. On paper he was Kyungsoo's equal, but in experience and accolade, he was very much his subordinate.

Baekhyun continued, "Figured it's a small enough team on the ground mission that I can handle everything myself." He shrugged. "S'only a month anyway."

Jongin nodded. Kyungsoo had recruited quite a few crew members over the months. The forum started small, but grew as more and more people saw the names on the list. Kyungsoo had also gathered the sponsorship of Junmyeon, Yixing, and Yifan - all heads of the various departments on the SS SM and that only made the crew grow. His own team with Kyungsoo had one extra tech, stationed on the shuttle to organize all the data they would collect and relay it back to the space station. Aside from that, they had the usual slew of shuttle crew to aid in the loading and unloading of all the things they needed to complete this mission.

But, that meant that the only people actually touching ground on Wanderer One were himself, a few techs he had yet to learn names of, Baekhyun, Luhan, and Kyungsoo. The only reason Kyungsoo had an apprentice was because the primary focus of this mission was biological data collection and analysis.

While he could do it all himself, that would extend the mission longer than a month and planets from the Beta Pictoris moving group were rogue planets without a star. They rocketed through space at high speeds and every day spent on the planet meant it was farther away from the SS SM.

"Yeah, won't be too bad with just the lot of us," Jongin said, agreeing with Baekhyun. His eyes followed Kyungsoo as he leisurely patrolled the loading deck. Jongin secretly hoped they would get some alone time together.

As if thinking the same thing, Baekhyun spoke, "We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other." He blushed when Jongin looked at him and Jongin was starting to realize that it happened quite a bit recently. It was cute and in the back of his mind he wondered if he looked cute when he blushed as well. He continued watching Kyungsoo walk, becoming less aware of his surroundings.

Jongin bit his lip. A month with Kyungsoo was going to be interesting. The thought of the two of them working closely together every day for a month was tantalizing. He imagined accidentally brushing their fingers as they both reached for the same sample to examine. And Jongin would look up and lock eyes with Kyungsoo and they would lean in and --

Baekhyun had said something and Jongin had clearly missed it. He blinked in response, the tips of his ears heating and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "What'd you say?"

Baekhyun stopped tossing his helmet and stared at the ground. "Nothing." He dragged his foot over a smudge on the deck's floor trying to erase it and seemingly with it, himself.

Jongin nudged him, "Tell me." He took the time to really look at Baekhyun. The soft curves of his lips, the way his lashes formed little crescents when his gaze was downcast, the gentle pink tinge of to his cheeks. He was actually really attractive and the longer Jongin admired him the more his palms began to sweat. When Baekhyun finally glanced up at him, his stomach filled with an abundance of butterflies. His gaze was so heavy and all encompassing that Jongin felt like he was falling deep into water with the way his chest squeezed and his heart raced. _Wow._

Baekhyun opened his mouth and froze. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared into Jongin’s. This brief but tantamount moment between them had opened something within Jongin and he suddenly found himself wondering how he had never noticed Baekhyun before.

Baekhyun blinked and then cleared his throat, "I was just asking if you wanted to bunk with me?"

Jongin paused. He had assumed he'd be staying with Kyungsoo -- well actually hoped -- but after being on the receiving end of a look like that, well, Jongin had to oblige; if not for his own curiosity for why Baekhyun had such a strong effect on him as much as feeling unable to turn him down.

"Yeah," He breathed and Baekhyun smiled. It was a dazzling thing to behold. Warmth crept across Jongin’s chest and his pulse quickened. What was going on? Just a few moments ago he had been pining over Kyungsoo and now he was being left breathless by the man standing right next to him. The busy scenery of the loading deck was dull in comparison. Silence swallowed up the din and it was as if they were the only ones on the deck. Shivers ran through every nerve in Jongin's body, electrifying him. He gasped softly, eyes still glued to Baekhyun’s face. What had he just signed up for?

"Awesome!" Baekhyun's voice was chipper and he started tossing his helmet again.

Jongin blinked away the rose colored glasses that had fogged his mind. His heart was still racing when the siren for boarding the shuttle went off. People scattered, rushing either on the shuttle or behind the airlocked doors. He put on his helmet, the airtight seal hissing as it locked into place. His visor was completely blacked out at first, then it cleared, revealing a tinted loading deck and a green HUD in the upper corner. They displayed his heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, radiation, and UV levels. All were fairly normal aside from his quickened pulse.

He turned his whole body to watch people shuffle into a line to board and figured he should follow suit. He queued up behind one of the techs. As the line moved forward, Jongin fell into his thoughts. He hoped the mission would be a success and give him the recognition he wanted.

Because if this mission was successful then he would be able to host his own and every since accepting this one, he found himself dreaming of doing that one day. Not only that, but he was also excited to finally take part in something that could be universe shattering. He bounced from foot to foot, jittery from both his nerves and excitement. After all, this was his first mission.

The inside of the shuttle was not at all what Jongin expected. It reminded him of what he imagined submarines looked like. There were clusters of pipes and bars lining the ceiling and the walls were a clean but dull silver. There were six rounded windows that line the walls on either side that were primarily for sight-seeing. Just to the left of the entrance was the hallway that lead to the bunks.

Each bunk housed four beds, separated in twos, a small sink and mirror, and a screen that displayed video feed of space. Aside from the bunks were several small rooms that housed the toilets. Showers were next door and offered little to no privacy. Jongin had mixed feelings about that. There was a small mess hall -- more of a table with twelve seats -- and small kitchen area. Overall, it was quite cramped, but they wouldn't be spending too much time aboard the shuttle.

He was hurried along the line until he joined all of the crew in cockpit. He raised his visor, taking in all the faces of his fellow crew members. He wanted to commit them to memory. They all shared the same expression and quiet anxiousness, except for Kyungsoo. He was complacent as always which left Jongin with a small lingering feeling of awe. Yet, Jongin was thankful for his calm demeanor. It soothed his frayed nerves.

Beside him, Baekhyun picked at his suit. The sticker he had slapped on his right thigh was peeling. It read: _Trust me I'm an Engineer._ Jongin smiled and then looked down at his own bare space suit. He figured he would decorate his after his first mission.

The Captain's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, "We are preparing for departure in t-minus twenty seconds. Everyone please buckle up. This is going to be the _second_ roughest part of the trip." A spark of panic flashed through Jongin at the emphasis. If take off was the second roughest, then what was _the_ roughest part of the trip?

Clicking sounds followed as everyone secured themselves. Everything felt like it was moving too fast and Jongin found himself gripping the armrests of his seat tightly. He glanced around and saw that while everyone was quiet, they were mostly calm so he told himself to do the same.

He looked over at Baekhyun and flashed him a nervous smile. Baekhyun returned it with one of his own, causing Jongin's heart to stutter a bit. He felt Baekhyun curl his fingers over the back of his hand and a smiled wobbled onto his face. He released his grip on the armrest and grasped Baekhyun's hand, hold it firmly. It really helped to have someone comforting him. They shared another look and the captain began his countdown.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1. We are now preparing for departure."

Jongin's seat began to shake violently as the shuttle's blasters erupted. He squeezed Baekhyun's hand and screwed his eyes shut, silently praying to whatever deity would listen to him for a successful lift off. This was strikingly different than taking off from Earth and with the way the whole shuttle rattled Jongin wasn't sure if he would survive even this part.

His whole body vibrated and his nerves constricted his breathing, causing him to take tiny little shallow breaths that only left him feeling lightheaded. Someone whooped in the background and Jongin snorted, eyes still firmly shut. He felt Baekhyun squeeze his fingers back reassuringly and his breaths came a bit easier. He wasn't alone in this and that made a smile pull at his lips.

Once the shuttle had entered hyperspace, everything smoothed out. Jongin opened his eyes and released Baekhyun's hand, feeling sheepish. He stretched his cramped fingers and snuck a look at the brown-haired engineer, wondering how he fared the departure. His eyes flicked back to his lap when he found Baekhyun already looking at him and he chewed on the inside of his cheek.

He'd made it past the _second_ worst part of the trip to the planet, so that was something. He let out a shaky breath to steady himself and looked up. Everyone was removing their seatbelts. Jongin followed suit, unsure what he was supposed to be doing anyway.

"Listen up!" Kyungsoo said, his voice freezing everyone in the room. "Today is the first day of excellence. This mission that we are embarking on is one that will be written in history books. It will be sung in songs and taught in schools. This mission will be on the tongue of every person back home and on earth." He inhaled, "What we seek is not just a successful mission however, but life. We have all climbed aboard this shuttle to pursue knowledge, to pursue life. Whatever we may find on this planet _will_ change the world."

He paced in front of the crew with a smooth grace, confidence seeping off of him in waves. He had removed his helmet, exposing perfectly sculpted scarlet hair and eyes full of wild excitement. "On this voyage we are going to discover the many wonders of Wanderer One. How life can exist on a planet with no star, no sunlight, and no orbit is the question we will be answering. Each of you will have a specific role that you must fulfill if we are to be successful. And I promise you, I will accept nothing short of success."

He continued, "Now, a few rules, once we land, we are not to venture from the bunker. All sample collection will be done by rovers, specially outfitted to decontaminate the bio-forms they find. As such," He paused. "We have absolutely no reason to step foot outside the bunker. Are we clear?” He paused, staring into everyone’s eyes. “While our suits will provide us protection from the biome of Wanderer One, the bunker will be our primary defense against the elements. It is state of the art aluminum and titanium alloys, and has all necessary amenities. We may be scientists, but we also require some modicum of comfort. Everyone will choose a partner to room with. Choose wisely, because that is who you will be with for the duration of this mission. We will not be playing musical rooms, so I am demanding upfront that we all behave like adults and get along. Remember the mission comes first. The mission _always_."

Kyungsoo smiled, his eyes were glowing with unconstrained excitement. Jongin had never seen him like this, so free, so _wild_. He was utterly enamored after his speech. Kyungsoo clapped his hands together, "So without further ado, let's take off!"

One clap cascaded into a raucous applause. A few cheers erupted and soon everyone joined in. Jongin laughed as he clapped, the excitement from Kyungsoo's speech had been infectious. An arm fell over his shoulder and Jongin smiled at Luhan as he jostled him. He had a feeling they would be good friends. He let himself be patted a few times before breaking the embrace. His eyes danced around the crew excitedly. Gone were the expressions of anxiety, replaced by excitement and wonder. He looked back to Kyungsoo and sighed. He really had a way with words.


	4. March 31st, 20XX

##  **March 31st, 20XX**

* * *

Jongin pressed his fingers against the glass as he gazed out at Wanderer One. They were approaching it fast. Red and purple clouds swirled like a thousand insects swarming. His stomach turned. He knew the surface would be dark, and warm from the heat generated by Wanderer One's ever-shifting molten core. He also knew that the atmosphere was close to earth's, containing only slightly varied compositions. It would be like breathing at high altitudes, not too dangerous to their bodies, but enough to make them sick until they adjusted.

Other than that, Jongin was going in blind, they all were. He had read the mission statement, of course, but all the information was stuff he already knew from Kyungsoo's proposal. That or stuff he learned from reading the reports from the previous probes. Everyone knew about the bioluminescence that was rampant in all forms of life, but what they did not know was if it had the same chemical makeup as Earth's.

Discovering that would link all life itself together in their carbon-based universe and that would change the whole pursuit of science. There would be more sponsored missions to rogue planets in hopes of replicating their current mission. They were pioneers in a way and that sobered Jongin. If successful, they would be the first to not only conduct a manned mission to a rogue planet, but also bring humanity one step closer to discovering just what it was that made life tick.

Another thing they did not know was the order of the consumer-resource system. It was something Kyungsoo had expressed importance on during one of his many speeches as well as mentioned in the mission statement. Therefore it was the focus of the biologists to discover and map that out. If the planet was similar to Earth in that regard, well then, it could end up as one of the outposts for human civilization in the upcoming future. While this mission was primarily a research excursion for SS SM, all missions conducted by any space station were also looking for possible new homes.

Jongin watched the clouds swirl a bit longer. A flash of lightning lit up near the northern pole of the planet and Jongin could only assume that there was a monstrous storm brewing there. It had to be massive if the flash could be seen from space. He knew that the poles were much like the Eye of Jupiter in that they constantly had treacherous conditions, but the rest of the planet looked relatively calm in comparison to the angry swirling.

He wondered what the clouds would look like from the ground. If they would be able to see the colors from the ground like they did from space. Or if everything would be too windy to even stand.

Footsteps alerted Jongin to Kyungsoo's arrival and his heart rate soared. They had only spoken a few times while aboard the shuttle. But Jongin chalked it up to Kyungsoo being too busy to spend much time with the rest of the crew. He hadn't minded really as he was able to get to know Luhan and Baekhyun a bit more since they shared a bunk aboard the ship, but the fourth bed was always empty. Jongin continued to stare at Wanderer One as he spoke. The swirling of the clouds mimicked his thoughts. "Do you think the winds will be manageable?"

Kyungsoo was quiet so Jongin admired him from his peripheral. His brilliant red hair was styled neatly as usual. Jongin noticed he seemed to have forgone the glasses today and his breath hitched. Kyungsoo had the most striking eyes. They were wide and usually guarded, but as he looked out the window at Wanderer One, they held excitement. Jongin followed the slope of Kyungsoo's nose to his lips, feeling a coil of emotions form in his abdomen. He still could not believe that he would be working side by side with him.

Finally Kyungsoo spoke, "The winds are high enough in the atmosphere that we should not feel more than a moderate breeze once we land." He studied Jongin, his gaze curious, but now guarded once again.

Jongin's heart thumped in his chest. Kyungsoo was awfully close to him now. "What about the wind storms?" His face felt hot at their proximity. It was hard being so near to the one person he had admired for years.

Kyungsoo pursed his lips in thought."They shouldn't be too bad. In any way, our bunker should hold up should we experience one."

Jongin nodded, feeling reassured. He watched Kyungsoo walk away, his gaze dropping _low_. Jongin swallowed. Not only was Kyungsoo impossibly brilliant, but he was cute too. In his mind’s eye, he saw a flash of him and Kyungsoo in the midst of a tryst and then coughed, trying to clear his head. He needed a cold shower.

The next day, everyone scrambled to prepare for entering Wanderer's orbit. It was going to be tricky since the planet itself was hurtling hundreds of millions of miles per second in one direction. If the captain was off by even a smidgen, the gravity of the planet would either send them shooting off into space or pull them crashing down to the surface.

Jongin rushed to find a seat and secure himself. His heart pounded in his ears loud enough to drown out the most of his worries. This was it. He fumbled with the seatbelt with shaking hands, clinking the ends against each other futilely until two more joined to helped him. He gave Baekhyun a nervous smile. He had been really good about being there when Jongin needed him and his budding infatuation aside, Jongin was truly grateful for him. "Thanks."

Baekhyun grinned, instantly warming Jongin’s heart. "I remember my first mission nerves." He strapped himself in and offered his hand to Jongin who gladly took it.

The shuttle rattled, listing to the left and then promptly jerking to the right. Glass shattered in the background and someone groaned. Jongin turned, but his space suit limited his mobility in the chair. He shifted back, heart hammering in his chest. He was frantically trying to keep his mind from jumping to the worst conclusions. The shuttle heaved again.

His mind raced. What if the captain could not regain control of the shuttle? What if they were ripped apart by the winds and sucked into the atmosphere, tumbling uselessly until they met their demise on the ground? His anxiety spiked and he squeezed Baekhyun’s hand until the latter made a tiny sound of distress. They shared a glance and Jongin loosened his grip a bit. He hadn’t realized he’d been squeezing it so hard, but Baekhyun hadn't removed his grasp and that calmed Jongin a tiny bit. However, his thoughts kept racing.

Jongin forced himself to keep his eyes open this time, that way if anything happened he could at least see. His stomach flipped and flopped from the g-forces, momentarily giving him nausea. He wondered how everyone else was handling this, but could not focus for too long before another tilt of the ship caused bile to rise. He swallowed desperately, eyes smarting as he silently hoped the shuttle would stop swaying.

Another hard jerk and Jongin glanced around at everyone else. No one was speaking and the air was tense as they fell into orbit. Then, as if his prayers were answered, it steadied itself. Jongin let out the breath he was holding very slowly and released Baekhyun's hand, noting that it still remained resting on his armrest palm upturned. Jongin craned his neck to see outside. Lightning flashed in the dark clouds. The windows looked black, with the occasional deep purple flying by as they cruised. He knew there would not be any sunlight, but the thought of perpetual darkness, unnerved him. He was not afraid of the dark, just anxious of what lived in it.

The stayed in orbit for a few hours in order to get everything ready to be unloaded and Jongin stood uselessly, not knowing the proper protocol for departure. More than once, he was in the way, but no one seemed to mind as they stepped around him far too busy getting everything situated. They quickly packed their belongings and made sure everything was secure after the rocky entrance they experienced. Finally finding something to do, Jongin cleaned up the shattered mirror in his bunk and tossed the remains out the chute. Once they were set, everyone strapped back in for landing.

Again, everything shook hard. Jongin's teeth chattered in his head and his insides felt like they were being liquefied. He clenched his jaw, hearing his blood rush in his ears as his heart raced. Loud banging sounds startled Jongin over and over again, each time he tensed harder. It sounded like the shuttle was going to explode. If he died on landing, that would be it. He would have never accomplished anything for the mission and all the hard work he'd put into studying and trying to get into the space program would have been for naught. Thoughts of the sort clamored in his head while he squeezed the armrests with bruising force after turning down Baekhyun's hand this time.

"Oi, we're here." Luhan's voice brought Jongin back to life.

He opened his eyes and saw everyone standing and putting their helmets on. He lifted his over his head and waited for the hiss before unhooking his seatbelt. They had made it. The worst part of the mission was over with and the relief that washed over Jongin left him giddy. He rose to his feet slowly, his legs were still trembling a bit from the adrenaline. His visor faded until it was nearly clear, save for the HUD.

Suddenly, Kyungsoo's voice crackled over the com system. "This is it guys. Let's get moving."


	5. May 12th, 20XX

##  **May 12th, 20XX**

* * *

Jongin leaned over Baekhyun's shoulder, wondering why he had called him over. He skimmed the words displayed on the screen, hoping to find an answer and his stomach dropped. There were various figures, each depicting Wanderer One’s trajectory and speed as the trajectory of the solar storm heading their way from the nearby star they were passing. He turned to Baekhyun, whose face was glowing an ethereal blue from the screen and his brow creased with worry. Jongin felt the color drain from his face as he gazed into Baekhyun's eyes. This wasn't good. "What do we do?"

Baekhyun frowned, "Not much we can do, we only have a week to act." He glanced down at his hand. He was clicking and unclicking his pen as the seconds ticked by.

Jongin looked back at the screen. Wanderer One was heading towards the storm at impossible speeds. It was as if it was being pulled into it. Jongin's eyes fell to the communication status. It still read _offline_. Meaning that there was still no way to get in contact with the shuttle or SS SM to alert them.

The ever present panic in Jongin skyrocketed to dangerous levels. He felt his breath shorten and his hands began to tremble. They had to do something fast, but with Kyungsoo telling them that nothing would go wrong, Jongin was loathed to believe him. He couldn't just sit here in the bunker, twiddling his thumbs, he had to do _something_.

"How much food do we have left?" If they had enough food to wait out the storm then _maybe_ they'd survive it, but if supplies were as low as he suspected, then Jongin needed to think of a plan.

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, we could check?" His chair screeched as he stood up. "I mean, what are you thinking?" He was staring into Jongin's face now and Jongin felt his heart squeeze. In another life, he would close the distance between their faces and tell Baekhyun that everything would be fine, but he couldn't do that now. Not when things could go horribly wrong at any second.

Wracking his brain, Jongin sighed and looked away from Baekhyun. He was staring at the ground when he spoke, "I think we should make a break for it, go after Luhan or something." He did not want to say that he didn't think the bunker would be able to withstand the storm. Afterall, the rover doors were already beginning to malfunction after something had slammed into them the night before.

Baekhyun moved to stand next to Jongin, staring at the same spot on the ground. His voice came out hardly above a whisper, "I think so too."

They remained in silence, staring at the mark on the ground for a few minutes. Then, Jongin sighed, wiping his hand down his face. "Let's go check the food supplies." He knew they were low, he had checked them yesterday, but somewhere inside of him, he wanted a miracle to happen. He wanted to open the food storage and find it overflowing with supplies, but he knew what he would find instead.

The shelves were empty, staring back at him with their barred maws, mocking Jongin's hunger as he walked up and down the room hoping for one box to have been hidden. He counted the ones he did see, noting that at the rate of consumption, the rest of the crew -- the ones who had not left with Luhan -- had only about two weeks left of food.

"This is bad," Baekhyun murmured, finger to his chin. Worry stretched his features over his face, holding them taut as he grimaced. "What is Kyungsoo thinking?" He hissed, spinning to face Jongin.

Shaking his head, Jongin responded, "I don't know. I think he's trying to convince everyone that the mission isn't failing, that we still have a chance at being rescued, but you saw his face, right? When we showed him the storm? He knows, Baekhyun, he knows." Jongin could feel his world closing in on him. They were so close to the end of the mission, they just needed to get home. With the way things were now, Jongin wasn't sure if they would make it.

A hand on his cheek calmed Jongin's thoughts and he folded himself around Baekhyun, trying to push the stress, the worry, the anxiety away and just hold him. He didn't know how much time they had left, but he wanted to make the best of it.

When Baekhyun looked up at Jongin, he realized his face was wet. Delicate fingers touched Jongin's skin wiping them away and Baekhyun's breath caressed his face as he whispered, "I'm scared too."


	6. April 1st, 20XX

##  **April 1st, 20XX**

* * *

The box landed with a satisfying thump. Jongin placed his hands on his back and stretched. That was the last of them. He shoved it with his foot towards the stacks of others and took in the lab. This was where he was going to be working for the next month.

There were several tables in the room. Each was for a separate field. Two for examining specimens -- one for microscopic and one for non-microscopic, one for biochemistry, and one for experiments. Under the tables were boxes of the individual supplies and equipment. A portion of the room was sectioned off by a small divider and Jongin assumed the observation station would end up there.

Jongin studied the table with all the communications equipment for a moment. It was next to the data input station. There were several monitors laying on the surface and a box teetering dangerously on the edge filled with wires. On the wall, there were three blue lab coats and a handful of white ones. He walked over to them and checked the inscriptions until he found his own.

_Kim Jongin, PhD._

_Macrobiology_

He stared at it, a smile growing on his face. He made it. He let the fabric fall from his gloved fingers. Over his com, he heard Baekhyun call to him. "Shuttle's leaving. You should come send them off with us."

Jongin turned on his heel and walked out to say his goodbyes with the others. As he walked he lowered his visor. The familiar tint faded until it was nearly nonexistent. He glanced at his HUD. His vitals were normal and the oxygen content was only slightly suboptimal outside the bunker.

He neared the others, passing through the makeshift maze of their new living quarters. Boxes and crates were everywhere. He dipped his hip as he narrowly avoided crashing into a container of beakers and was met by the all consuming darkness of Wanderer One fro just beyond the door. Outside the clouds swirled above, obscuring the hundreds of millions of stars in the sky. Jongin frowned. He had hoped the cloud coverage would be less dense. Still that was the only disappointment Jongin faced as Wanderer One was beautiful.

As he exited the safety of their bunker, the flora and fauna sprang to life, glowing in dazzling hues of blues, purples, reds, and greens. There were tall spiraling plants with spindly vines that sprawled into the air like spidering capillaries. They were dotted with soft glowing orbs of green that twinkled and swayed in the languid breeze.

A shorter species of plant life resembled that of a fan coral, rough and rigid. The veins on its fan were a crystalline blue, throbbing to a slow beat. Jongin wondered if the plant had some type of rudimentary heart that sustained it and smiled. They were going to have their hands full on this planet.

Small insect-like creatures spun in the air, joining the green twinkling orbs with their dull red light. Jongin's mouth popped open in awe as more joined, varying in colors as they flitted and twirled in the air, dancing and flowing. He was so caught up in watching them that he walked right past the others, following the wave of glowing creatures as they ebbed and flowed in the sky. It reminded him of a school of fish, they way they moved as one giant entity.

"Jongin," Kyungsoo's voice came over his helmet com. "We'll have plenty of time to look around tomorrow, with the rovers."

Jongin spun around, face heating. He rushed back to the crew, fighting the urge to look up to the sky. He joined them and faced the shuttle crew. They were all still in their suits lined up in front of the ship. Every gaze was focused on Kyungsoo and Jongin knew that another one of his speeches was about to take place.

Kyungsoo began speaking, "I would like to thank you all for volunteering. Your role in this mission is every bit as important as the field researchers. We are counting on you to be diligent and be our eyes in the sky and relay all communications from the space station to us."

The crew saluted Kyungsoo and he continued with a nod, "In the advent of any emergency, you are to first report it to the station and then wait for direct orders. Under no circumstance are you to endanger yourselves for us. We all know the risk of this mission and have accepted all its terms."

Luhan turned to face Kyungsoo. "What are you on about?" Jongin could not see his face, but he assumed that Luhan was giving Kyungsoo a _look_. The air grew tense and the field crew all looked at each other wide-eyed. Jongin caught Baekhyun's eye and the engineer shook his head and gave him a lopsided smile. It seemed that no one knew how to interpret Kyungsoo's words.

"The importance of the data collected here far exceeds our lives. Is that clear?" Kyungsoo finished and then gave everyone a stern look. That did not bode well.

The shuttle crew bowed and the began boarding. Jongin whipped around. His heart was thudding loudly in his ears. Dread swirled in his stomach, snaking up his esophagus and tightened its tendrils around his neck. The last of the crew members paused and turned around. There was worry and fear in his eyes as if he held knowledge that was not privy to the rest of the field researchers. Then his visor darkened and the door shut, erasing him from Jongin's vision. He stared at the spot where they were, half wishing he could run and bang on the door until someone let him in.

Panic bubbled in Jongin's chest as the shuttle began its departure procedures while they remained on the ground. He glanced to the HUD and saw his heart rate climb. "Um, Kyungsoo?" His voice was tight and pinched with anxiety. Jongin followed him as he walked back to the bunker intending to ask him for clarification, but Luhan beat him to it.

"What the hell?" Luhan's voice came over the com. He gestured angrily. "What did you mean back there? About the data exceeding our own fucking lives?"

Kyungsoo whipped around. His visor was still darkened, so no one could see his face. He raised his arms and the hiss of his helmet made Jongin's heart sprint in his chest. He felt like if it weren't for his ribs then his heart would already be back on the shuttle on the way home. He gaped at Kyungsoo, bewildered and worried that he may have gone on a mission with a madman and right now all he could think was that he had made a grave mistake. Jongin gnawed his lip as he watched Kyungsoo take three long breaths.

He then settled on Luhan with a untamed expression. "I meant exactly what I said." He took a few more deep breaths and then smiled. "Amazing."

His eyes were bright, almost wild. His helmet fell from his hands, landing on the dirt causing a glowing cloud of dust to emanate by his feet. He spun in a circle, inhaling and exhaling dramatically.

The tense moment seemed to pass as Jongin, Baekhyun, Luhan, and the techs all moved to remove their helmets. The hiss made him jump, but he slowly removed the only thing that was protecting him. With closed eyes, he inhaled tentatively. He did not know what he expected, but the air smelled vaguely like the air did on earth after a thunderstorm combined with fresh pine.

Jongin inhaled deeply, holding the air in his lungs for a count and then exhaled. It made him a bit lightheaded, but other than that he felt no other differences. Confirming the air was safe, he opened his eyes and smiled at the awe on everyone's faces.

Two of the techs were also spinning much like Kyungsoo, who was now standing still, arms outstretched, with a deranged look on his face. The other one was scooping up the sand and tossing it in the air. It lit up like heat lightning. Jongin switched to Luhan, who was staring up at the glowing orbs, suit-clad hand reaching for one. His finger brushed against it and the orb was sucked in. Luhan giggled to himself and poked a few more.

Next he looked to Baekhyun. He was still holding his helmet, bouncing it on his leg while he slowly turned around, wonderment adorning his face. They locked eyes and Jongin looked away, feeling embarrassed for being caught.

After a few moments he looked back, his heart was beating faster than it should. Jongin's gaze absorbed the seductive lines of Baekhyun's neck as he leaned his head back and breathed. His mouth went dry when he glanced to his face. The halo of his brown hair flowing gently in the soft breeze. His attention was also to the sky, lips parted in a way that made Jongin's spacesuit feel too warm. He looked away.

Above him an ocean of glowing lights twinkled. For a planet obscured by thick clouds, it made up for the lack of a starry sky. The tall spidery plant swayed, gently shaking its green orbs. Its flexible trunk came to life with more colors as it twisted and flexed in the breeze. Flying insects zipped in jerky movements, flashing their red light.

Small flying creatures joined in. They were bat-like, blind with compressed snouts, and thin papery wings speckled with deep purple luminescence. Jongin watched as they swooped, opening their wide mouths and engulfing the glowing red insects. It was as if the planet was greeting them and showing them how things worked there.

Everyone was quiet for those moments, consumed by their awe. Successfully landing on a rogue planet was a miracle in and of itself. But to land on one with a compatible atmosphere and actually breath without the aid of their space suits was another thing altogether. They survived the toughest part of the mission, now all they had to do was see it to the end.

Later, inside the bunker, which was a series of metal domes connected by straight hallways, Jongin stood in between two techs. He squinted at their name-tags. _Hosung_ and _Jungmin._ Both were from Luhan's department. He gave them a nod and they returned the gesture.

Kyungsoo entered the room wearing black slacks, a cream colored turtleneck and his lab coat swishing behind him. His round spectacles hung around his neck on a thin chain. He grinned and ran his fingers through scarlet strands before clapping just once. "We made it."

His eyes sparkled with jubilance. He gestured around the room. Boxes were half unpacked and lab equipment was still lying scattered across the tables. "This is our home for the next thirty days." Then, he walked over and picked up a box. "Together we will make the greatest discoveries known to mankind."

Kyungsoo beamed at everyone, lingering a bit longer on Jongin, whose cheeks grew warm. He opened the box and pulled out a bottle of champagne. "But tonight, we celebrate." He popped the cap, and fizz oozed out the top, spilling onto the floor.


	7. April 4th, 20XX

##  **April 4th, 20XX**

* * *

Jongin stared at Baekhyun's bunk above him and then rubbed his eyes. In the three days they've been here, his sleep schedule was destroyed. The lack of a set sunrise and sunset threw off his circadian clock. Not that he was used to much sleep anyway. Since volunteering for this mission his insomnia had returned. He rolled onto his side and sighed.

Their room was dark, unnaturally so because of the lack of windows. But Jongin had memorized the pathway to the door as he had taken it so many times in his sleepless nights. He slid out of bed on to his feet. He swayed for a second, blinking away the white ringed spots from his vision. His eyes strained in the darkness, dilating fully searching for any source of light.

Jongin padded across the room, counting his steps and then reached for the doorknob. The cool surface shocked his palm. He jerked back, gasping. Baekhyun mumbled in his sleep, causing Jongin pause. He didn't want to wake him up with his personal inability to sleep. He held his breath, listening; only his heartbeat breaking the silence until Baekhyun's even breaths slowed and deepened.

The hallway was lit with dim yellowing emergency lights near the metal ceiling. They didn't cast much light, but there was enough for Jongin to be able to see well enough. He ambled barefoot, feet sticking slightly from sweat and glanced around at the bare hall. There wasn't much to see as the hallways did not have windows due to safety reasons.

Down the hall was the observation dome. The ceiling was lined with pressurized quartz glass similar to that of the space-station's so Jongin knew it was strong. It wasn't as thick as the glass on the space station but that went without saying. Jongin peered at the sea of lights above him and wondered if it would always be like this. It was peaceful really, but something inside of him was missing the warmth of the sun.

He reached the small coffee maker and started brewing a pot. For having a space station so advanced, he really enjoyed the things that reminded him of his life back in the city. His parents had been a bit old-school and kept a lot of the technology from their parents while Jongin and his sister grew up. The bubbling and gurgling of the coffee machine calmed him and he leaned back against the counter, eyes dancing from color to color as the life flowed above him.

The door creaked open, revealing a sleepy-eyed Luhan. His fawn-colored hair was standing up in tufts. Lowering his hand from his eyes, he shuffled in wearing white slippers and plaid colored sweatpants. His white t-shirt clung to his skin in random places. He blinked at Jongin, mutely. It seemed that he couldn't sleep as well and Jongin welcomed the company.

Jongin stepped aside, giving Luhan room against the counter. They stood there in silence blearily observing the scenery around them as neither of them were quite coherent or awake at this time. In the distance a large glowing circle approached, lumbering. Jongin rubbed his eyes and squinted into the darkness, his pulse quickening.

Following the glowing circle was an enormous mammoth of an animal. It shared characteristics of both a lizard and an elephant. A long trunk with a bulbous tip it held up, illuminating the area in front of it, a slender face and a long tail that dragged across the ground leaving a trail of glowing dust behind it. It walked slowly, without any concept of time. Behind it more lights emerged -- all at varying heights and sizes. It seemed to be a small herd of them.

They approached the bunker, their large black eyes lined with soft downy lashes blinked outside the glass. A smaller one touched the glass with it's trunk, the tip brightening as it did so. It scurried back, knocking into the legs of another giant which then curled its trunk around the smaller one, righting it.

The herd hovered, curious, each coming up to touch the glass and then retreating. Jongin's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to stay impossibly still. He stared wide-eyed as one of the creatures seemed to gaze into his soul. He gripped the counter with white-knuckling force far too afraid to do anything. Beside him Luhan did the same.

After what felt like hours, the herd lost interest and turned back; their lumbering gait taking them further away until the glow of their bulbous noses disappeared. Jongin released the counter, collapsing on his knees and hands, gasping for air.

His whole body trembled, sweat sliding down the tips of his hair and onto the ground. He never thought he’d get that close to the life of that size on this planet. Hell, the closest he got to life of that size on earth was when watching nature documentaries about the sahara desert. Adrenaline coursed through him, making him shiver uncontrollably for a moment while he gathered his bearings. It had been so intense and yet, so awe inspiring.

Luhan knelt, placing a hand on Jongin's back. "Fucking amazing, huh?" He stood without waiting for Jongin to respond -- not that he could at the moment -- and Jongin heard him open the cabinet and the clink of two mugs on the counter.

Jongin tilted his head upwards, drowning in the light above him. His heart drummed. He sat back on his heels, his thoughts racing. He still could not get over the fact that the creatures had been so close. What if they had been violent and attempted to break the glass? It was strong stuff, but he doubted that much could keep out a herd of those things. Still, seeing them had reaffirmed just how dangerous this mission was and it was only the third day since landing. He had never felt so small in his entire life.

Luhan placed a cup of fresh coffee in front of Jongin on the floor and joined him, sitting crossed legged. "I remember my first mission," he began. He slurped his coffee, exhaled loudly and then placed it on the ground next to him. "It was a trip to Kepler-186f, but I like to call it my Red Nightmare." He drew his knees to his chest, "Everything on that damned planet was red. Sand, plants, animals, the goddamned light. I would close my eyes and see red." He scoffed. "I fucking hate the color red." He turned to Jongin, his face lighting up as he recounted the trip. "But the single most memorable part about that mission was when I came across this forest."

Jongin peeked at him out of the corner of his eye. His heart was still hammering in his chest but it was slowing down. His thoughts of just how insignificant and small he was were fading into visions of Luhan's mission. He'd read the case report and seen the pictures, but he never actually got to hear someone talk about it firsthand. He hoped that after this mission was over, he'd have a story to tell.

"In this tiny forest was the only non-red life we'd ever seen." His lips pulled into a small smile. "These tiny, _little_ , organisms just living the dew on the plant leaves. They were breathtaking. So small and _blue_ . And when they slid off the leaf and landed on the ground, they were red." Luhan arced his hands in the air. "It was this magical moment. We all realized we were looking at things so _narrowly_. And all it took were these small semi-aquatic creatures to fall from a fucking leaf." He snorted, a huge smile on his face, shaking his head he chuckled. "Ah, just imagine if we hadn't seen it fall..." He clapped Jongin on the shoulder. "So yeah, what you just experienced is only the beginning, mate."

Jongin held his warm mug in his hands as he watched Luhan rise to his feet. He sipped it, rich flavor bursting over his tastebuds. "What was the breakthrough?"

Luhan poured himself another cup of coffee. "That we were looking at life on that planet from the wrong stage. Damn near everything on that planet had an aquatic stage. We just assumed that each stage was a separate creature. Or something like that, I'm not a biologist, so I don't know all your fancy terms. Now talk to me about chemistry and I'll sing you songs and recite sonnets, because that shit is my life."

He held up the pot, gesturing if Jongin wanted more coffee. Jongin shook his head and Luhan continued, "Anyway, we extended that mission a whole two weeks, just gathering more data and experimenting. It was the most orgasmic moment of my life, excluding well, ya know." He wriggled his eyebrows at Jongin and smirked.

"Wow." Jongin said, standing up. He walked over to the group of small desks in the room and plopped on one of the chairs. "I hope we do something like that here."

Luhan settled down on the loveseat behind him, stretching his legs across it, feet resting on the other arm and grinned. "Oh we will. That and so much fucking more." He sighed. "You know we're lucky we landed on this thing in one piece. The wind fluctuations of this planet could have knocked the shuttle into a crash landing." He reached for his coffee off the ground and took a big swig. He seemed to breath the stuff. "We got real fucking lucky."

Jongin smiled. He hoped their luck would continue. He sipped from his mug and watched the sky. The stream of lights were building. It would be morning on the Wanderer One soon. The only difference was that during the planet's 'night', the sky was clear of life. Only the swirling clouds and the occasional flying creature would decorate above. It was as if the whole planet was asleep. But now, as dawn approached everything seemed to glow brighter, even the plants that surrounded the bunker seemed to almost shake themselves awake in the breeze and their dull glow grew.

Suddenly, Baekhyun entered the room, mouth wide, yawning and stretching upwards. A strip of his stomach exposed itself as he lifted his arms. He scratched his back and smacked his lips, shuffling slowly. Dark rimmed glasses rested on his face. They looked nice and Jongin would be lying if he said that his stomach didn't do a little flip when their eyes met. Jongin watched him from the corner of his eyes, lips glued to his mug and teeth biting down to keep from speaking. He felt Luhan's stare and turned to him, raising his eyebrow in question.

Luhan smirked, flicking his eyes to Baekhyun and then back to Jongin. His smirk grew. He threw his legs off the sofa and snatched his mug off the ground, "More coffee." He slid his mug across the counter. It clinked against the machine.

Jongin bit his lip. He could hardly keep himself from eating Baekhyun alive with his gaze. Something about his sleepy demeanor awoke feelings he had not had since he started dating Chanyeol. He forced the thought from his mind and turned to face the outside again. In the distance he could see the forest of glowing trees as they too seemed to awaken. Part of him wished he could go out there and experience it firsthand, but then he remembered the lumbering mammoths from earlier and sucked in a breath. He was much more comfortable inside where he was at least out of the fray.

Luhan's voice suddenly rising pulled Jongin's attention from his thoughts and his eyes bugged out as Luhan said, "Hey man, be careful, you could poke an eye out with that thing."

Jongin spat out his coffee, spraying it all over the desk and glass. He whipped around to see Baekhyun blearily shoving his hand down his pants and tucking himself in his waistband. "Shut up. Like it doesn't happen to you."

Jongin wiped the spilled coffee with his sleeve, staining the pale yellow fabric. He could make himself look at Baekhyun now, feeling way too embarrassed for him. After cleaning it up the best he could he brought his mug to the sink and began rinsing it, trying to rid his mind of all thoughts of Baekhyun.

The bunker recycled every drop of water and ran it through the atomization unit to clear it of all waste. It was one of the ways they kept themselves from polluting the planet during their stay. It was pretty ingenious and Jongin was glad that the space station cared enough to try to not disrupt the delicate alien ecosystem. Fingers tapped his shoulder and Jongin nearly jumped out of his skin. He was still pretty skittish it seemed. He turned to see Luhan wriggling his eyebrows at him before disappearing down the hall.

It was just the two of them now. The rush of water filled the air, amplifying the awkward tension in the air. Jongin washed the mug over and over, trying to think of something to say.

"Do you ever sleep?" Baekhyun's voice broke the silence causing a warm flush to radiate through Jongin. It had been like this for the past three days, Jongin awkwardly acknowledging his blossoming crush on Baekhyun and fighting off his idolization of Kyungsoo. It had been tiring, but usually when work started all feelings were left behind as he focused on the mission at hand.

"I've got insomnia." Jongin shrugged.

It was true, he struggled with falling asleep each night since puberty. Sometimes, he’d go days without more than three hours of rest combined. It sucked, but what else could he do? Sleep medicine did not work, and despite the many accomplishments in science, no one had figured out the human brain and its many mysteries. Such was his life. He opened a drawer and pulled out a cloth to dry the mug. Facing Baekhyun, who was sitting on the edge of the loveseat bouncing his leg, Jongin frowned. He desperately wanted to say something else, but his mind was just not cooperating.

Baekhyun nodded and brought the mug to his lips. Jongin gasped softly watching the muscles work as he swallowed. "I see," he placed the mug on the ground by his feet. No one seemed to use the coffee table. "So you just come here?"

Jongin paused, arm frozen at an angle and the cloth dangling from the mug. He wondered why Baekhyun was so interested in his sleep habits, but chalked it up to them being bunkmates.

"Sometimes," he opened the cabinet and put the mug back. "Sometimes I go and sit in the lab and watch the diaries.”

His cheeks burned as he kept the fact that he exclusively watched Kyungsoo's and more recently, Baekhyun’s multiple times. He'd seen them all, since sleep had yet to welcome him to its embrace and when the day ended, the rovers returned to their stations, so it was either watch the diaries or sit around twiddling his thumbs. It wasn't as if they hadn't done a whole lot of work either, there was plenty already recorded and inputted into the data system, but Jongin honestly did not want to spend all his time doing work.

Baekhyun leaned back into the sofa, eyes glued to the sky above. He sighed, "Anything interesting ever happen?"

"Actually..." Jongin trailed off, as he joined Baekhyun on the loveseat, careful not to sit too close to him. It sunk in low under his weight and he rested his elbows on his knees for a second before turning to Baekhyun and recounting the events of the morning. It was much easier to talk to him about that and once that hurdle had been jumped, Jongin knew that he and Baekhyun were well on their way to _something_.

A few hours later the bunker was fully lit. Bright lights flooded the rooms, making Jongin's eyes sting every time he entered the rooms from the dim halls. They used bulbs that mimicked sunlight, just like the ones on the space station. So despite the lack of a sun on this mission, no one would be vitamin D deficient. Which was something they needed to be wary of on a planet of perpetual darkness.

Jongin rubbed the back of his neck as he entered the lab eager to begin working, but still sore from the way stress tensed his shoulders. He grabbed his coat off the hook and pulled it on, buttoning it closed while glanced at everyone else already working. He guessed talking to Baekhyun had taken a bit longer than he had anticipated.

He walked over to the UV cabinet and pulled a pair of protective glasses out and slid them on. They were a requirement for everyone in the lab and lab safety was key. He found his way to his station and shuffled through the microscope slides until he found the one he was working on yesterday. Sighing, he slid it into place and peered down the scope. He hated making slides.

Fumbling with the focus knobs, he hummed to himself to keep his mind occupied. Everyone else was busy working on their own tasks. Clinking beakers and the scratch of pen on paper were the music of the room. To his right was Kyungsoo, dutifully scrutinizing his specimen. He was using their anaerobic chamber on a small segment of a worm-like creature. He mumbled under his breath, taking notes as he observed the creature.

Jongin watched him, wondering when he would be allowed to do more research involving his doctorate. He was supposed to be Kyungsoo's equal, but lately all he had been doing was grunt work.

His focus in school had been bioluminescence in macroorganisms, one of the reasons he was recruited for the SM Space Station, so he had plenty of knowledge on the topic. Yet, on the first day of the mission, after setting everything up, Kyungsoo had him doing all the prep work, which included creating slides, organizing them, and taking pictures of each slide.

Sighing loudly, Jongin turned back to the microscope. He shifted the slide and pressed the button snapping another picture. It was boring work and he was certain that someone who actually enjoyed staring at microscopic organisms would be a lot happier to do his job, but here he was.

His eyes traveled back to the anaerobic chamber. He wanted to conduct his own experiments and take down his own observations instead of just reading everyone else's. Jealousy made his mouth taste bitter. He sighed again and was met with Kyungsoo's gaze.

Heat bloomed over Jongin's skin as embarrassment splashed his face red. He quickly focused his attention on the microscope, but it was too late. Kyungsoo rolled his chair over. "Something you want to discuss?"

Jongin swallowed and wet his lips. "N-no." He did not want to ruin his chances on the mission.

Kyungsoo studied him. "Okay." He rolled his chair back to his station and returned to taking notes.

Jongin craned his neck to see what was happening. Inside the chamber the organism was expanding. It had ballooned up to the size of a small sausage. Its translucent skin was mottled and the deposits of luciferin, the light-emitting pigment, were dull. Jongin sidled closer. "It must have a high iron content to be expanding in an anaerobic environment." It was a whisper but it caused Kyungsoo to stare at him.

"Correct." He scribbled down more notes. "Note that the luciferin deposits are dull. It confirms a similar evolution to that of bioluminescence on earth, which requires oxidation."

Jongin nodded, feeling quite comfortable speaking to Kyungsoo in this manner. "Not only that, but the fact that it's still alive is an anomaly." The organism squirmed lethargically.

"It seems to be dying, however." Kyungsoo pointed at the chamber with his pen. He glanced at his watch. "Not even a minute ago, it had full range of movement."

"It could be moving slowly due to the expansion of its body. More gravity is affecting it since it has grown nearly five times in size." Jongin leaned closer. "The fact that its skin is so elastic is interesting though."

Kyungsoo smiled, seemingly satisfied with this little rally between them. "Yongsik, take over for Jongin." He stood to his feet and pulled Jongin's chair over. "You've earned yourself a spot at my table." He nudged the chamber towards Jongin and his smile widened.

The dimming of the lights signaled that the day was coming to an end. They still ran on a 24 hour schedule in an attempt to keep normalcy on this alien planet. Across the bunker, the rovers returned to their charging stations and the doors closed, locking everyone inside.

Jongin stretched his aching arms above his head and let out a small sound. He had been hunched over the table inputting all the data collected from earlier into the system. It always took a few hours because there was so much new information and observations to be sent off to the space station. He scratched the back of his head, looking around. Only Kyungsoo was still in the room.

Jongin pushed against the ground, shooting himself a few feet from the desk, arms still outstretched. He kept scooting until he was next to Kyungsoo and leaned on the table.

"You gonna be up all night?"

After working together all day, Jongin was finally feeling at ease around the Head Biologist. They had fallen into casual conversation and even though Jongin still greatly idolized him, he could talk to him as an equal.

As if on cue, Kyungsoo yawned, mouth popping open and eyes squeezing shut. He shook his head. "I'm off to bed in a bit...once I finish these notes." He turned and blinked at Jongin. "You should too. I heard you early this morning."

A cold sweat flushed Jongin's skin and his eyes widened. He thought he had been quiet earlier but he guessed when he was telling Baekhyun what had happened, he did get a little excited. But, he couldn't help it when the latter was so engrossed in his tale. It led to other topics and soon the two of them were laughing about hypothetical situations that still made Jongin smile a bit when he thought back to them. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Oh, it's fine." Kyungsoo waved his hand and turned back to his notes. His eyes flicked between the notebook and the softly glowing screen. His fingers typed effortlessly on the keyboard.

Jongin breath hitched when Kyungsoo bit his bottom lip. A strong urge to feel those lips on his own washed over him. That or perhaps hear him give Jongin more praise. His feelings towards him often teetered between admiration and lust. He pushed his chair back, leaving space between him and Kyungsoo so he would not act on those urges. He also moved back to his station and watched Kyungsoo silently, eyes drawing long lines down the back of his head, neck, and body.

The door whirred and Baekhyun entered, carrying a small set of tools in his hands. "Hey," he smiled and quietly headed towards the end of Jongin's desk which housed all the wires and cables for the equipment.

"What's up?" Jongin said, eyes snapping to Baekhyun's face. He smiled without meaning to and Baekhyun returned it before kneeling down to take care of business.

Baekhyun's voice was muffled, "Not much, just doing some wire management." He was half under the desk, only the lower half of his body was visible. Jongin stared at him for a moment before realizing what he was staring at and then turned away.

Behind him, Kyungsoo's hand shot into the air and he started making a low hum of excitement. "Quick, get over here!" His hand was now waving frantically in the air.

Jongin slid out of his chair and hovered over Kyungsoo's shoulders. He scanned the screen rapidly and then looked down at Kyungsoo's notes. He couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. "What am I looking at?"

Kyungsoo looked up at him, eyes wild and unconstrained. A slow grin crawled onto his face. His forehead was inches from Jongin's chin and his hair was tickling his neck. Jongin gasped softly. Kyungsoo's eyes looked even bigger at this angle. They were so close, closer than they had ever been. Jongin's breath came out is small huffs as he struggled to stay calm. He had to control himself and not be obvious about his attraction to the biologist. He wet his lips anxiously.

"There," he said, pointing at the screen but still looking up at Jongin. His grin had transformed into relaxed open lips, as if he was really looking at Jongin for the first time. Surprise and _another emotion_ filled his face.

Jongin broke their gaze, looking to the screen. Above Kyungsoo's index finger was a small line of data. Jongin stared at it but his mind kept drawing blanks. It was literally the same data they had gone over earlier, so he was really not understanding where Kyungsoo was going with this. He rested his chin on Kyungsoo's head accidentally and when the elder did not protest, he kept it there. "I'm not seeing it."

Kyungsoo pushed against Jongin's chin signalling Jongin to move. "Right there," he pointed again at the line of data, tracing his finger back to the category. Jongin squinted. He still was not sure what he was supposed to be seeing. It was just a summary about the invertebrate.

Suddenly hands were on his shoulders and Jongin was being forced down into the chair. Kyungsoo leaned over him, resting his chest against the back of Jongin's head. He could feel the beating of his heart on his head and found that it was thudding just as fast as Jongin's was. Behind them Jongin heard Baekhyun crawl out from under the desk, hitting his head and cursing softly. Jongin's cheeks grew warm at the thought of being seen by him in this position. It was innocent in a way, but with the heat and proximity, Jongin felt scandalous.

Kyungsoo squeezed his shoulder. "That, right there is our first discovery." He trailed the pad of his finger across the screen and then turned to Jongin, a soft expression on his face. "Thanks to our great teamwork." His eyes flicked from Jongin's eyes to his lips and back.

The thrumming of his heart filled his ears and Jongin held his breath for a few beats to calm it. "Y-yeah."

With that, Kyungsoo clapped Jongin on the shoulder and yawned again. "I'm off to bed," He paused in the doorway, addressing both him and Baekhyun. "Get some rest." His footsteps echoed down the hallway, taking Jongin's heartbeats with them.

"Lucky break?" Baekhyun said, wringing a cloth in his hands. He smiled at Jongin, but it was pinched with discomfort and his eyes were downcast the second he met Jongin's.

Jongin ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "Yeah." Then, he grinned, "We make a great team."

He turned to Baekhyun and his grin faltered for half a second. His expression was a cross between hurt and disappointment. Jongin was vaguely aware of their budding feelings, but his mind had always been on Kyungsoo first. But seeing the way he was staring at the ground made Jongin's gut wrench. He wanted to say something else to him, to ease the awkward air, but no words came to the surface so he stood there, not quite looking at Baekhyun, but not quite _not_ looking at him either.

They were silent while Jongin returned to the computer and finished inputting his data. It was slow work as Jongin wasn't the fastest typer nor was he super adept with technology other than the equipment necessary for his job. Every few minutes or so, he would turn to see that Baekhyun was still in the room, checking all the equipment and wiping down the tables. He seemed to be waiting for something, but Jongin wasn't sure of what. The clacking of Jongin's keyboard slowed to a stop and he quickly saved the data and clicked the button to upload it to the relay station.

Three small dots queued while the data was being sent. Jongin watched it patiently, feeling eyes on the back of his neck while he waited. The dots continued to flash in the corner and Jongin drummed his fingers on the desk, impatient. He was ready to go to bed -- or at least attempt to go to bed and it was taking a bit longer than usual.

"Um..." Jongin rotated his chair. "Is it supposed to take this long?"

Baekhyun dropped the cloth on the table and walked over, eye bright. "Let me take a look."

He stood to the side of Jongin and studied the screen, the sounds of his breath became the only thing Jongin could focus on. That and the way he smelled vaguely like home. It was the same scent from the elevator all those months ago and Jongin found himself closing his eyes for a brief second and imagining himself back on Earth.

"Hmm," Baekhyun hummed softly and Jongin opened his eyes and tilted his head to take in Baekhyun's profile.

He followed the way he moved across the screen and marveled a bit at the smooth slope of his nose. He was definitely an attractive man. Then Baekhyun reached for the mouse and clicked it a few times before standing back up, leaving Jongin a bit embarrassed at his thoughts. "I'll check the servers, hold on." He left the room and Jongin returned his attention to the dots while he waited. For a while he thought of nothing and just watched the flickering of the dot until his mind traveled back to the image of the Wanderer One before they landed. Maybe there was a storm or something outside causing interference. He hadn't been outside and the rovers had been sent out earlier in the day so the winds weren't too bad.

Minutes passed and soon the door clicked open. Baekhyun entered biting his lip and his brow creased with confusion. He grabbed the cloth and played with it while he spoke. "Server said it's experiencing some difficulties reaching their connection, so I reset it. Hopefully that should fix it, but if not, then I don't know..."

Jongin glanced at the screen. The dots blinked a few more times before a check mark and the words _SENT_ flashed on the screen. "Oh."

"Guess it worked." Baekhyun breathed and wrung the cloth between his hands. His face was still stretched with worry.

Jongin stood and stretched. His day was finally over and he could hopefully get some rest. He smiled at Baekhyun on his way out the door but paused when he noticed him still standing in the room, chewing on his lip and messing with the cloth. It was a bit unusual for Baekhyun to stand there like that so lost in his head and it made Jongin frown. "Baekhyun?"

He didn't move. He just stood there staring at the screen. Robotically, he walked forward and moved the mouse, clicking it and closing the windows. He hovered the cursor over the server status notification and chewed on his lip even more, eyebrows furrowing. Something was clearly bothering him but he was not saying anything and it was unnerving.

Jongin's chest squeezed. What could possibly have him so spooked like this? Had something happened back in the server room? Did he know something that he was not sharing with Jongin? His mind was rushing a million miles a minute as he approached Baekhyun. He glanced and saw that the server was online, so everything was fine, right? He reached for Baekhyun and the fabric of Baekhyun's shirt was rough under his fingers, but Baekhyun remained statuesque, frozen in his thoughts. His expression was muddled and he seemed to be far away within in his mind. Jongin leaned closer and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Everything okay?"

Baekhyun blinked hard, coming back to reality. He turned to Jongin, his face completely unreadable. "Everything is fine."

He looked deep into Jongin's eyes, searching for something and the longer he looked, the more worried Jongin grew. He didn't know what to tell him or what he was looking for, but he seemed to not find it. Baekhyun wet his lips and inhaled. "Yeah, everything is fine," he repeated, perhaps more for himself than for Jongin.

A spike of dread pierced Jongin’s stomach causing his spine to grow stiff. Something had clearly happened to Baekhyun and it left Jongin feeling extremely uncomfortable. He wanted to ask him what was wrong, but judging by his reluctance to tell Jongin anything, Jongin knew it was a lost cause.

He gave Baekhyun a tense smile and left him standing there in the room alone. But the seed had been planted, because as Jongin walked down the warm hallway, he pulled his arms around his middle, as if it would stave off the cold chill that settled on his skin.


	8. May 15th, 20XX

##  **May 15th, 20XX**

* * *

"Are you all set?" Baekhyun asked, fiddling with his suit.

He pulled at it and shifted until he was satisfied and then gave Jongin a tense smile. Jongin knew he was trying to be calm amidst all the chaos that they were going through, but once glance into Baekhyun's eyes told Jongin everything. Despite his demeanor, Baekhyun was just as terrified as Jongin.

Jongin lowered his helmet over his head trying to calm himself. They had to do this, they had no choice. The helmet hissed and clicked shut. He blinked while the tinting faded and glanced to his status.

Oxygen levels were perfect, his heart rate was slightly elevated, but that was to be expected. The radiation levels were low, but that was because he was still inside of the bunker. Once they both went outside, it would rise.

The UV levels were the same and his blood pressure was a little high. His com link status was online, but the status to the shuttle was offline. He didn't know how long it would remain like that, but being that it had been days since they were able to contact the shuttle, Jongin's hopes were very low.

He turned to Baekhyun and nodded. "I'm ready." It was now or never and with the way the bunker was falling apart, he'd rather not be inside once it all came collapsing down.

"Okay, hold on." Baekhyun's voice crackled over the com. He must have put his helmet on at the same time Jongin did. Baekhyun ran out of the room knocking into the table as he did so and Jongin jumped to catch the microscope before it fell. His reflexes were unusually fast due to his nerves, but that seemed to be a good thing.

He turned it over in his hands, taking in the details of the knobs and scopes as his heart squeezed. He placed it back on the table and his mind traveled to the techs.

They hadn’t been seen or heard from since they left with Luhan and Kyungsoo and It was all Jongin could do not to think the worst for them. Thoughts like those would make him hesitant to leave, so he filled his mind with happier memories of them cracking jokes instead. It was easier that way, to remember them that way and to believe that somehow they were all out there, still alive.

The door flew open and Baekhyun rushed in carrying two contraptions in his hands. He started speaking as he dumped the on the table and grabbed Jongin's arm. "I retrofitted the armbands with tracking devices as well as a SOS beacon. They're a bit ugly now, however." He held it on Jongin's wrist and opened the tape with his mouth. He began taping it on briskly. "I didn't have time to fix the clasp, but this should hold it."

Jongin stared at him wide-eyed. His chest constricted as the weight of what they were about to do settled on him. It felt like he was breathing through a straw and his heart felt like it was going to burst. He looked away for a second, eyes staring just outside the door as he tried to calm himself, but Baekhyun touched his helmet and made him focus on him. It worked a lot better than the doorway. Jongin smiled at him weakly, "Thank you."

He then looked down at the device and studied it for a moment before shaking his head at Baekhyun and said, "You're...kind of a genius."

It looked like a regular slender armband, mint in color, and a smooth glossy surface. The port for the projection was unchanged but, on the bottom where the clasp was were two small blinking attachments. They were naked tiny squares of wires and exposed metal. Baekhyun placed a strip of tape over them and then held out his arm waiting for Jongin to attach his to him.

The tape felt awkward in Jongin’s gloved fingers. He fumbled with it for a moment before wrapping it around Baekhyun's arm in several layers, making sure to leave the projection port visible.

Once he was done, he glanced up at Baekhyun's face and gazed into his eyes. He lowered his visor and leaned in towards him, wanting to share one final kiss before they braved what lay outside the bunker.

It was awkward, but somehow they managed to brush their lips over each other's and when Jongin pulled back they searched each other's faces for what felt like hours. The rasp of their breaths was the only thing that disturbed the uncanny silence and finally Jongin stepped back, ready to go.

"Okay, let's do this." Baekhyun said, keeping eye contact and raising his visor.

After the tinting faded, Jongin could see determination fill Baekhyun's face and it gave him that tiny bit of resolve. He would make sure that Baekhyun survived. Even if he had to give up his own life in exchange. He was ready for that. They had already been through so much strife and pain that in the end, Jongin just wanted to make sure that Baekhyun would be okay. He felt that he owed it to him.

Jongin sighed, "Right. Now or never."

He raised his own visor and flicked his gaze to the HUD. His blood pressure was reading high. As they left the room, Jongin took one final look back at the room to say goodbye. To the untrained eye the lab looked as though everyone had just been in it a few minutes ago.

Lab equipment was still half unpacked and slides still littered the tables. Notebooks were still open and pens lay resting atop them as if someone would come back in any moment and begin writing. He looked at the terminal and saw Kyungsoo's glasses resting on top of a stack and ran back to grab them.

Surely, the head biologist had to be missing them. He paused by the door, a ghost of a scene flashing over his vision of the whole crew working and laughing at something Luhan had said, but when Jongin blinked, the scene was gone.  A hand closed over his shoulder, and Jongin turned away, silently saying his farewells to the room.

"We should grab what's left of the supplies," Baekhyun said, breaking the silence that had settled over them.

He led the way through the maze of the bunker and Jongin followed mutely, his mind toiling away at the possibilities of survival. He knew there wasn't a lot left for them to take and they would be expending a lot of energy just trying to make it to the cave. It seemed futile almost and his steps slowed a bit as they neared the hallway. They passed by Luhan's room and Jongin paused, wanting to go inside but Baekhyun grabbed his hand and tugged him. "We don't have time, Jongin."

"Just one look? I haven't been inside his bunk since he left," Jongin said, his hand still on the handle.

Baekhyun started to protest but he conceded and together they entered Luhan's bunk and froze. It looked ransacked, and Jongin guessed it was from when Luhan had packed his things on the day he left. He stepped forward and his foot crunched something and when he lifted to see what it was, his stomach flipped. It was a small framed picture of a young man with dark hair and a brilliant smile. Jongin leaned down and picked up the frame and pulled the picture out, unfolding it and seeing that it was actually a picture of the whole crew. Luhan's arm was thrown around the man and he looked positively drunk. Jongin showed Baekhyun the picture and they both stared at it with small, wistful smiles on their faces.

A sound in the distance broke the moment and Jongin folded the picture back and held onto it along with Kyungsoo's glasses. He was going to return these items to their rightful owners. He was determined to. They left Luhan's room and returned to their original plan of grabbing the rest of the supplies. As they walked, the backs of their hands bumped against one another's and Baekhyun grabbed Jongin's hand and gave it a squeeze but did not look at him. Jongin figured it was because he didn't want him to see his expression.

They arrived at the storage room and Jongin frowned at the levels of supplies. The shelves were just as empty as they had been for days save a few boxes of instant meals and portable water filtration systems. If they were careful it was enough for about ten days. Jongin watched Baekhyun scoop them into a small bag and he handed him the glasses and picture and watched as Baekhyun placed them in a pocket inside the bag with care. Still, with their supplies so low, Jongin wondered if they would have to hunt for survival once their supplies ran out. He reached for the bag and Baekhyun pulled away.

"I got it. You're going to be carrying the gun," Baekhyun said and pulled the rucksack on his shoulder, adjusting it several times until he was comfortable.

Jongin let his hand fall to his side as he regarded Baekhyun with furrowed brows. There was no way he could use the gun. He had next to zero training for it and the fact that Baekhyun expected him to was alarming. Jongin couldn't imagine hurting anything, even in defense. His jaw snapped closed before he responded, "I shouldn't be the one with the gun and you know that. I don't think I could even aim it." He stared at Baekhyun and raised his eyebrow for him to respond.

"Your aim is probably no better than mine. I'm carrying the bag, you get the gun, please," he replied and Jongin frowned deeper. He wondered if Baekhyun had some type of aversion to guns. They had never really talked about that during their time together, so Jongin couldn't be sure.

On the wall underneath soft iridescent lights were three holsters for guns. Two were empty. Jongin's breath hitched and he cringed when he thought back tot he way Luhan had looked with the gun strapped to his back. He hoped he was okay. He glanced to the second empty holster and for a half-second he was angry at Kyungsoo for leaving without telling them, but if anyone were to survive the harsh conditions of this planet, it was Kyungsoo. Finally, he set his sights on the gun and reached for it slowly. He wondered how it felt for Luhan and Kyungsoo when they stood here staring at these weapons. He gripped it in his hand, surprised at the weight and then turned to Baekhyun.

"Do you think we'll find them?"

Baekhyun pursed his lips. "I hope so." He looked like he was going to say something else but a loud crash startled both of them and they looked up at the ceiling. "We need to go, now!" He grabbed Jongin's hand and pulled him after him wasting no time breaking into a sprint.

Jongin stumbled as his eyes were glued to the ceiling more than watching where he was going. He trusted Baekhyun to lead him safely through the bunker and as more banging crashed above them, Jongin fingered the gun. Maybe it was the storm brewing. It was wishful thinking and even Jongin couldn't convince himself of that.

"Should we even be going out right now?" He pulled his hand back and Baekhyun stared at him, exasperated.

"I think if we don't go, we might be lunch for whatever is trying to break in," Baekhyun said, confirming Jongin's worse fears.

Jongin pointed to the ceiling where the clanging had picked up in speed. It seemed that whatever it was was trying really hard to get inside. After a few terrifying moments, the clanging stopped and they both stood there holding their breaths, waiting for anything to alert them.

Suddenly, the shattering of glass startled both of them and they jumped into action, tearing down the hallway. There was a loud hissing sound and Jongin's ears popped at the pressure change. His eyes widened. Something was inside the bunker with them.

Baekhyun made a small sound of alarm as he skidded down the hallway in front of Jongin. Somehow he was moving much faster than Jongin who felt like everything was moving in slow motion. How had this mission gone so wrong? Baekhyun yanked Jongin after him, weaving through the bunker, slamming open doors and shoving over boxes that they had just packed.

More glass shattered and their boots crunched over it, but Jongin didn't have time to think about any of that. His lungs burned already and he felt primal fear ice his bones over. He was a scientist, not a survivalist. The gun slapping against his back as they sprinted reminding Jongin of the dire situation they were in and he tried to pick up the pace, but his body was already screaming in protest.

Behind them, an unearthly shriek started. It was sharp and had an almost wolf-like howl timbre to it. It sounded lonely, like a wail, and when it stopped, the scientific part of Jongin's mind fled only to be replaced by ten kinds of anxiety. He shared a frightened glance with Baekhyun and they doubled their efforts, knocking over boxes and winding down the maze as fast as their suits would allow them.

It seemed like the bunker had grown in size now that they needed to get to the other side. Jongin leaped over tables and boxes and skidded over loose paper and broken glass. The hairs on the back of his neck rising as the shrieking started once more, following them.

They reached the rover charging station and banged against the door, half forgetting that they were the only ones left in their scrambling to leave. Baekhyun kicked the door open, sending it clanging against the wall. He gave Jongin a panicked look and they both rushed into the room, panting into their coms and trying everything they could to lift the doors. After a few moments of futilely trying to lift them Jongin ran to the wall, feeling blindly for the button.

Jongin's heart was thudding in his chest and his lungs were screaming. Sweat plastered his hair to his skin, but there was nothing he could do about that. He slammed his fist against the button again and the door started to raise. It grinded, gears sparking and stopped halfway.  Of course now it had to be jammed, just when they needed it the most. Jongin slammed the button harder, frantically.

"It's not working."

Baekhyun stared at him wide-eyed, frozen. He looked around the room, trying to think of something but it seemed that nothing came to mind. The shrieking sounded again from down the hall, getting closer and they both whined as they slammed all the rover door buttons, trying to get even one of them to work. Then Baekhyun jetted towards the door and slammed it shut, back against the metal door and chest heaving.

"Hurry! Do something!"

The shrieking grew louder. Jongin mashed the button repeatedly but it simply groaned and lifted maybe half an inch. He rubbernecked between the door and Baekhyun. Maybe they could squeeze through. He pointed to the half open door. "Go! I'll follow you."

He rushed to the door, taking Baekhyun's place. The shrieking had stopped but claws tapping against the floor could be heard just outside. The clicking sound made Jongin's hair stand on end. He shoved Baekhyun away. "Quickly."

Baekhyun tripped over his feet scurrying under the metal door. The bag snagged on a hook and Baekhyun scooted back in to unhook it. "Oh God, I'm stuck," he said, twisting the bag until it came free. His eyes were impossibly wide and his hands trembled as he scooted under the door as quickly as he could manage.

Behind Jongin, the door jerked, metal scratching against metal. The creature was attempting to get inside the room, but he needed a bit more time to get out. Jongin pressed his weight to the door, digging his heels in and giving it a huge shove. It stilled for a second and Jongin caught his breath.

A sudden jolt almost sent Jongin flying and he scanned the room for something to put against it. The only things in the room were the rovers and there was no way he was moving those. Finally, Baekhyun's leg slid out of view. All he had to do was follow him and they would be out of danger for the moment.

The creature slammed the door, causing Jongin to stumble again. He could tell its snout was pressed to the crack as its sniffing was loud enough for Jongin to hear it outside his suit. Jongin shoved against it, heart racing and silently praying to get out of the room safely. Clicking the lock in place, he backed away slowly before tossing the gun under the door and dashing through it. He made it.

The sand exploded in a cloud of glowing light as Jongin landed on the ground, momentarily blinding him. Behind him, the door clanged. He had to act fast. He flipped to his back, and kicked the door repeatedly until it slammed down with a bang.

Chest heaving, he glanced up at Baekhyun who was gaping at him, face blanched and hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. It was too soon for relief to wash over either of them. Baekhyun reached his hand out and Jongin took it, standing up. They stared at the door, rooted to the spot, as the unknown creature banged against it.

"Run," Baekhyun's voice was hoarse over the com.

Jongin did not need to be told twice. He took off towards the forest across from the bunker, leaving trails of glowing clouds behind him. His fingers were still interlaced with Baekhyun's and the gun slapping his back. His heart ricocheted in his chest, filling his ears with the sound of rushing blood. He glanced back as the sound of metal groaning pierced the air. It was still following them. Jongin felt his stomach clench as he wondered out loud how they were going to survive this.

"Where are we going?" Jongin asked. They were getting closer to the glowing forest. The trunks were pulsating with green ribbons of light in the cracks of their bark-like skins. It was welcoming. The steady pulse was almost hypnotizing, but a loud crash pulled Jongin back to reality.

"I don't know. You're the biologist!" Baekhyun glanced behind him, eyes wild. A gasp sounded over the link. "It's coming!" He squeezed Jongin's hand tighter and ran a little faster, his breath coming out in bursts over the com link.

Jongin followed Baekhyun's gaze. A large dark mass lined with red bioluminescence was stalking them from behind. The clouds of glowing dust were small as it lithely tracked them. Jongin whipped his head forward, scanning the upcoming forest with expertise. He only vaguely remembered watching the creature behind him with the one of the rovers, but it had destroyed that one. "We need to get to high ground."


	9. Authorization Loaded

* * *

Authorization Loaded.

Directory of C:\Users\WandererOne\Documents\VideoLogs

176 file(s) 10.3GB

Select File:

04/01/20XX 08:00 AM LH_Entry_01

Loading...

 

_[Voices heard in the background. The screen is currently black.]_

 

“This is stupid. Why are we doing this?” The first voice said.

“Because I said so. Now sit down and state your name, occupation, and a summary of why you are here.” The second voice commanded.

 

_[Shuffling in the background is heard. A chair screeches as it is dragged back, followed by a loud sigh.]_

 

“So I’m Luhan and I have the most important job on this mission--”

 

_[Various people scoff in the background.]_

 

“As the lead Chemist, it is my duty to prove whether or not the luciferin on this planet is the same chemical makeup as that on earth.”

 

_[The sound of scratching is heard and the microphone plays feedback as the camera is jostled.]_

 

“Am I supposed to see a picture?” Luhan asked.

 

_[Footsteps approach and louder feedback plays over as the camera is taken and placed back on the stand. A hand covers the screen for a moment before everything comes into focus. The setting is in a lab, various tables are set up with instruments on them. Two men are standing in front of the camera. One shorter with brilliant red hair and the other with fawn. The red-haired man speaks.]_

 

“You are an absolute idiot.” He leaned into the camera and muttered under his breath. The rest of the crew in the background stopped what they were doing and were looking on curiously.

“Not my fault you brought this ancient shite for us to record with.” Luhan crossed his arms, a petulant expression on his face.  “Why couldn’t we just use holotape?”

“It’s not ancient _shite_. It’s vintage.” He fixed Luhan with a steely glare. “And if you weren’t so dense, you’d realize that there was a lense cap on.” He stood up and shoved Luhan into the chair. “Now, start over.”

Luhan turned and gave him an equally as fierce glare. “Whatever you say, Kyungsoo.”

“That’s Dr. Do to you!” Kyungsoo said as he strode back to his station.

“Prick,” Luhan mumbled and pursed his lips. He stared at the screen. His hair was tied up into a small palm tree of strands fanning out on top of his head. His safety goggles hung around his neck and his lab coat was opened.

“I can hear you,” Kyungsoo warned from his station.

Luhan smirked. “I am Luhan, Lead Chemist, and I’m here because _Kyungsoo_ offered to suck--”

 

_[An arm flashes across the scene before the screen cuts to black.]_

 

End of file.

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04/01/20XX 08:09 AM DKS_Entry_01

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_[Static rolls across the screen before clearing up. The setting is a lab with various tables lined with scientific instruments. In the background is a fawn-haired man holding his hand to his face. In front of the screen is another man with red hair, cropped short on the sides and a pair of thin-framed spectacles low on his nose. He has full lips and small smile on his face.]_

 

Kyungsoo clasped his hands together. “If you want something done right, it’s best to do it yourself,” He smiled brightly. “Hi, I am Do Kyungsoo. I am the Lead Biologist on this mission. I am also the organizer of the mission and in charge of everything here.” He paused, smile still on his face. “The purpose of this mission is to unravel the secrets of life itself, however our primary focus will be shifting to bioluminescence as all life forms here have some form of it. We will be exploring the chemical makeup of what caused evolution to include this aspect and the similarities to that on earth.”

 

_[The audio pitch raises until it cuts out. The video skips a few times before resuming.]_

 

He turned in his chair and called out. “Mr. Kim, come here please.”

 

_[More static rolls across the screen and the screen goes blank.]_

 

Error...

File Corrupted.

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04/01/20XX 08:43 AM KJI_Entry_01

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_[Screen starts up paused on a blurry image of two men. One is sitting and the other is standing to his right. The video begins.]_

 

“Wait, Kyungsoo! What am I supposed to say again?”

“Introduce yourself and summarize our mission statement,” Kyungsoo said. He returned back to his station.

“Okay, I am Kim Jongin,” He turned and looked offscreen, his eyes following something. His voice was muffled, “I don’t have much to add regarding our mission that Kyungsoo did not already mention in his,” He returned his attention to the screen, his cheeks faintly pink. “Um, I’m a Biologist with a specialty in macrobiology.” He stared at the camera for a few seconds and then grinned. “This is my first mission and I’m really excited to be here. Ever since graduating, I’ve wanted to work under Dr. Do -- I mean, Kyungsoo.”

 

_[In the background, someone laughs.]_

 

Jongin’s face reddened and he cleared his throat. “I don’t know what else to add, but I feel very honored to be here.”

 

_[The screen cuts to black.]_

 

End of file.

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04/01/20XX 09:01 PM BBH_Entry_01

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_[Video starts immediately. The scene is the lab, but no one else is in the room. The lights are dim and only the pale face of a man is seen. His skin is illuminated by the brightness of the screen.]_

 

“I am Byun, Baekhyun. I am the resident engineer for this mission. I also take care of all the technical stuff. I--” He stopped, biting his lip. His eyes were downcast, only the shadow of his lashes was visible. He glanced back up to the camera, staring deep into the lense. “I’m--”

 

_[The audio cuts out but the visual feed is still available. He continues talking, his expression is concerned. He stops, looking down to the right of the camera and bites his lip. His hand reaches up and covers the screen.]_

 

Error...

File corrupted.

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Authorization confirmed.

File transfer initiated...

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Deletion initiated...

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Authorization confirmed.

Directory closed.

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	10. May 16th, 20XX

##  **May 16th, 20XX**

* * *

The moment they stepped into the forest, it came to life. Dozens of lights sparkled, illuminating everything with their varying colors. The ground lit up brightly as their boots sank into the soft soil. Small critters skittered about near their feet, glowing a pale pink throughout their translucent bodies.

Jongin half-paused, enamored by the sight, but a distant shriek from behind reminded him of their situation. He whipped around, looking for anything that could help them climb the trees as they had branches much too high to climb on their own.

"Over here!"

Baekhyun waved Jongin over and pointed at a fallen log. It was half propped against another trunk in an unnatural way. It was unlit, and as much as Jongin could tell in the dark, it was a dark grey color.

He scanned the forest, a small grain of hope that either Luhan or Kyungsoo were still alive, spread through his chest. They had to be if the log was propped like this. Not only that, but it meant that Jongin and Baekhyun were on the right path. However, with the way it was propped, it was going to be difficult for them to climb on it without help.

Without really thinking about it, Jongin stood next to the log and bent his knees and cupped his hands, ready to launch Baekhyun onto the log. He glanced to where the creature was and beckoned Baekhyun loudly, "Come on!"

When Baekhyun’s foot fell into his hands he grunted and heaved upwards as hard as he could, sending Baekhyun high enough for him to pull himself onto the log. So far, so good. Jongin shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited for Baekhyun to settle himself enough to help him up. His anxiety was through the roof at this point and with the way the creature was quickly approaching, Jongin knew it would be a while until he would ever feel calm again.

Finally, Baekhyun laid flat and dangled his hands while Jongin jumped and kicked against the trunk in order to gain purchase. He made it on the log and allowed himself a tiny bit of relief.

They paused, breathing and wiping their gloved hands on themselves, as if it would absorb the sweat inside their suits. After the short moment to gather themselves, it was time to move. Jongin guided Baekhyun in front of him and nodded for him to start climbing. He figured he would take up the rear position as he had the gun. It swung against his side, poised for easy access, if he ever needed to use it. He still didn't want to use it, but now that his life was actually in danger, he knew he wouldn't hesitate any more.

Climbing the log was slow as they had to be careful not to slip, and Jongin found himself getting caught up in his thoughts. A low rumble started behind them and grew louder until the sound surrounded them. The lights of the forest flashed violently for a few moments in unison, then breaking into their own rhythms, disorientating both of them. Baekhyun paused on the log, glancing around.

"What was that?"

Jongin searched below him but saw nothing in the darkness. The forest seemed to be warning them of danger or at least alerting the rest of the forest of their arrival. They were almost to the lowest lying branch. Suddenly, the trunk heaved beneath him, rolling and nearly tossing Jongin and Baekhyun off. They needed to hurry up and get to the branch or they were going to die. Pure unadulterated panic rose in his throat when he caught sight of the red glowing light. The creature almost had them.

Every one of Jongin's senses kicked into hyper drive, firing simultaneously and making his movements more precise as well as faster. He didn't have time to think about what could happen if they didn't keep moving, but the thoughts poured into his mind nonetheless.

Jongin returned his attention to the task at hand. They were so close to salvation and the branch was just out of reach, flashing its lights frantically.

"It's here. Hurry Baekhyun!"

He placed his hands on Baekhyun's bottom and shoved him, urging him to climb faster. The trunk rocked a bit, but Jongin refused to look behind him. His breath clouded his visor, so he reached to raise it, but the log shifted heavily, throwing him off balance. He scrambled to grip the bark with both hands, holding on for life. He wasn't ready to go out just yet, not when they were so close to the branch.

Finally, Baekhyun stepped onto the branch and reached his hand out for Jongin. The green glowing beneath his feet was brighter where he was standing than anywhere else on the branch and it pulsated quickly. He was glad that Baekhyun had made it and part of him relaxed a bit. Jongin tried to climb faster.

He reached for the branch, but the log lurched again and his foot slipped. Apparently bullet-time was real and as he realized that he wasn't going to make it, he prayed silently for a quick and painless death. His fingers barely grazed the bark and he felt gravity rush to take hold of him. He had been so close to safety. He swung his legs in the air, hoping it would somehow propel him upward by some miracle.

He shut his eyes thinking that this was it and waited for impact, but instead he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and time finally returned to normal. He looked up to see Baekhyun laying flat on the branch, arms outstretched and hands clutching Jongin's arm.

He was screaming something, but Jongin's ears had yet to catch up to what was happening, so he hung uselessly for a second before reaching up with his other hand to grab onto Baekhyun. He felt his hands sweat inside the suit and his grip slipped. Perhaps he wasn't safe yet.

The creature pursuing him shrieked again and the log grinded against the tree, snapping bits of the bark off and revealing green oozing sap. Jongin squeezed Baekhyun's hand tighter hoping that somehow he would be able to pull him up in time. Because if Baekhyun was unable to pull Jongin up in the next few moments, the creature would reach the branch and take them both out. Which meant that the whole mission had been for nothing and Jongin had already told himself that he would make sure Baekhyun survived even if it meant his own life.

Jongin glanced up at Baekhyun and stared into his eyes, pleading with him to understand and to just let go. He couldn't bring himself to say the words, because he knew they would never leave his lips. Not willingly. No, he needed to keep them to himself to make sure he stayed strong.

He dropped his other arm to his side and fumbled with the gun, while keeping Baekhyun’s gaze. He didn't want to never be able to see those eyes upon him again. He didn't want to die, but he wanted Baekhyun to live more than anything. He started to say something, to tell him of his deepest feelings, but Baekhyun grunted and yanked him hard.

His arm popped and Jongin finally noticed Baekhyun was screaming, "Don't you fucking let go! I swear to God if you do, I will jump down after you."

A few tense seconds later, Jongin's hand met the ridged bark. He almost cried when he felt the surface under his hand and half-forgot to pull himself the rest of the way up. He struggled for a moment, with one arm and finally hooked a leg over.

Baekhyun grabbed on and pulled him the rest of the way onto the branch and pulled Jongin into his arms. He raised Jongin's visor and then his own and they sat there for a moment just breathing and looking into each other's faces.

Jongin reached up to touch his cheek and whispered, "Thank you."

The latter shook his head and then bit his lip before untangling himself from Jongin and scooting away to wipe at his face. Again, they were quiet while the log crunched and rolled. Jongin laid there on the branch, panting and staring up at the green glowing light as it continued to flash frantically. They still weren't out of danger and the creature was still attempting to climb the log, but for this short moment, he felt at peace.

Baekhyun broke the silence by slapping his hand on Jongin's chest. "I don't care what the hell is going through your mind, but don't you ever give up like that. We're in this together, and that means to the death, so don't think you're going to take the easy way out and leave me all alone." His voice cracked on the last word and he stood up and kicked Jongin in the leg.

He watched as Baekhyun walked over to the log and started shoving it, trying to dislodge it. He figured he should say something back to Baekhyun, but his brain was complete mush after all the adrenaline. Baekhyun's breaths were shaky over the com and were punctuated by sniffling, but he said nothing more.

Jongin laid there a bit longer gathering his bearings before he slowly sat up. His left arm had a deep ache by his shoulder that felt very wrong. That pop had done something to it. He watched Baekhyun before he went over to help him push the log away with his good arm.

It took a few good shoves, but finally, the log swung away from the trunk and the creature cried out as it landed on the ground. Not even a second later the cry was cut short by the log landing on top of it and the sickening sound of bones crunching and flesh splattering filled the air causing Jongin's stomach to turn.

Both he and Baekhyun peered over the edge of the branch and stared. On the ground, the red bioluminescence dulled until it faded from view. They had defeated the creature. Relief washed over Jongin so powerfully that he had to sit down.

He rested against the trunk, feeling his muscles throb beneath his skin and his bones ache. He couldn't believe they had survived. It seemed to be against all odds, but time after time, they somehow ended up evading the creature.

After a while he noticed Baekhyun standing a few feet away staring at him with a muddled expression and he cocked his head to the side in question. Baekhyun simply walked closer to him and sat down without speaking.

"We made it," Jongin said breathlessly, lowering his visor to check his vitals. He glanced at the numbers displaying his heart rate -- they were falling slowly -- and sighed. For now they were safe.

A few hours later, Jongin opened his eyes to find Baekhyun leaning against him, completely knocked out. Without thinking he reached to touch his face but his gloved hand met the hard surface of Baekhyun's helmet, stirring him awake. Heat crept up Jongin's chest to his cheeks at failed gesture so he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"How's your arm?" Baekhyun asked, voice thick with sleep. He reached up to rub his eye but his hand also clanked against the surface of the visor causing Jongin to laugh softly. It seemed they both forgot that they had their helmets on.

Baekhyun nudged him playfully, but it sent ropes of pain down Jongin's arm making him grimace. He was grateful that Baekhyun had saved his life, but now his arm was quite messed up. "Definitely dislocated,"  he whispered and shifted, pursing his lips and exhaling through his nose to keep from crying out.

Around them the forest twinkled softly, colors subdued and flashing languidly. It was beautiful and such a stark difference from all the erratic flashing earlier. It seemed there were no signs of any threats which meant they could relax for a bit.

Obviously they both needed this reprieve as they had both fallen asleep after the ordeal, but now Jongin had the opportunity to really enjoy the forest and all it's illuminated beauty. Or well, so he thought.

"I can fix this. Lay on your back." Baekhyun said and tilted his head.

He gently helped Jongin settle onto the branch and then straddled him, resting on his heels. It was a scene that had played out before back in the bunk, but under much different circumstances. However, Jongin's cheeks were aflame now and he avoided making eye-contact with him to avoid such thoughts.

If things were different, he'd indulge, or even reach up and pull Baekhyun's lips onto his, but now he could barely open and close his fingers, so he knew it was not the time. His stomach flipped and he clamped down on his lip as Baekhyun deftly positioned his arm.

“Where did you learn to do this?” Jongin hissed. Even the gentle touch of Baekhyun was sending torrents of pain to his shoulder.

"I'm really sorry," Baekhyun said, avoiding the question and then shoved Jongin's arm.

Excruciating pain shot through Jongin's body and his vision went black for a moment. He had never felt anything like that in his life. He bucked under Baekhyun, almost sending him flying and cursed under his breath, panting and gasping.

"Holy shit, that fucking hurt!" He reached for his shoulder as tears sprang to his eyes and bit down hard on his lip. He never wanted to go through that again.

"I know, I'm sorry," Baekhyun said as he crawled off of him and rummaged through the rucksack. He muttered something, but it was not quite clear over the com and looked back at Jongin with a frown.

Jongin laid there with his eyes squeezed shut. The torrents of pain were beginning to subside a bit but not enough for him to have any coherent thought. A moment later, he felt fingers prod at his foot and opened his eyes.

It took a bit from him, but with Baekhyun's help he sat up and hissed again at the pain. This really hurt. He pressed the button to lower his visor and sucked air through his teeth and then flared his nostrils as he tried to breath through his nose, groaning.

In the trees, the air had a different smell, not the same after-rain smell as on the ground, but still pleasant. The main downside was that it was much colder up here. They would have to figure out a way to conserve heat if they were planning on staying up here any longer. He shivered and then Baekhyun returned to the bag and dug through it some more.

Finally, Baekhyun's hand shot in the air, holding a small packet in his fingers. "Found it."

He raised his visor as he approached Jongin and pulled out a small container of water. He handed both to Jongin and then sat down next to him, also removing two portions of food from the bag.

"Pain meds for your shoulder and then our glorious meal," he said with a small grin which Jongin half-returned.

Jongin's fingers slipped over the paper of the packet, he hardly had any strength in his left arm, so opening it was impossible. He sighed and handed it over to Baekhyun, who opened it for him.

"I'm so useless," Jongin muttered but Baekhyun shook his head and rested his hand on Jongin's leg and squeezed. Jongin glanced down at his hand and then popped the small capsules on his tongue. They were bitter so he gratefully washed them down with a swig of water and then passed the bottle to Baekhyun.

They ate in a mostly comfortable silence, only the sound of their crunching dispersing the air. The food portion was dry, which warranted more water than Jongin would have liked to drink, but he figured they would find a water source somewhere in the forest. The trees had to be drawing from something, after all. His shoulder still ached, but the pain was finally dulling. Still, he held his arm close to his body, babying it out of fear of injuring it again.

It was another hour later before the sounds of the forest began. Soft chirping that reminded Jongin of the birds on earth made him look around trying to find the animals responsible for it. Through the canopy, he could see the lights in the sky growing, signaling morning on Wanderer One.

They had made it through the night it seemed. The lack of light had him missing the bunker already and when he looked at Baekhyun he could tell they shared the same thoughts. Out here in the wilderness they had nothing but their suits and the gun to protect them. It was harrowing to think about.

"That log was pretty strategically placed, huh?" Baekhyun said suddenly, drawing his knees to his chest. He had replaced the bag on his back and was following a veins of glowing light with his finger.

"Yeah, I think they're still out there," Jongin said, catching the drift of Baekhyun's words.

His eyes were adjusting to the darkness even more and he was able to see small flying creatures perched on the branch at the end. They were the same fluffed creatures that Jongin had previously examined. They chirped softly amongst themselves and floated around with a breeze. Small dots of purple decorated their craniums and lined their beak-like mouths.

"I hope so," Baekhyun rested his head on his knees and picked at the bark on the branch. The green light flashed angrily at him, so he stopped. He glanced at Jongin with a questioning look. "How are we getting down?"

Jongin sighed, he had not thought about that. "I was hoping you had an idea."

He watched the fluffy creatures float around each other as a sense of uncertainty filled him. Maybe they should have stayed inside the bunker. A gust of wind ripped through the canopy above them and Jongin shivered. He lowered his visor and stood up. They needed to get moving if they were to make it to the cave before the solar storm hit them. He watched the radiation indicator climb one digit. They only had a few days left to spare.


	11. April 15th, 20XX

##  **April 15th, 20XX**

* * *

Jongin woke up to pandemonium. He was roughly jostled out of his sleep by a tech, Yongsik, and swatted at him. It was the first time he had slept uninterrupted since going on this mission and all he wanted was just to close his eyes and fall back into the sweet embrace of sleep. When he rolled over, he felt himself being dragged out of the bed. He swung his arm, colliding with flesh and then immediately turned over.

"I'm sorry, but what the hell do you want? Can't you see that I'm trying to sleep?"

Granted, he had only laid down a few hours ago, but those few hours had felt like heaven to his exhausted body.

"Just get up, we have an emergency." Yongsik pulled at him harder and Jongin tumbled to the ground, taking his blankets with him.

He shot Yongsik a nasty glare and rubbed his lower back as he stood, silently wishing harm upon him. Nothing too bad, just that he stubbed his toe or something equally as inconvenient and painful. He wondered why Baekhyun wasn’t protesting in the top bunk, but when he checked, he saw that Baekhyun's bunk was empty. Odd.

The Engineer was always the last to rise. With that, he reluctantly padded out the room to find out what was going on. The metal floor was cool to his bare feet as his skin clung to the surface with each step due to sticky sweat.

There was a bright light spilling out from under one of the doors and Jongin figured that was where he was supposed to be. He shoved the door open carelessly and promptly collided with Kyungsoo's back, sending him stumbling a few feet forward. Embarrassment washed over him and he quietly apologized before grabbing a chair and plopping down onto it.

His face was burning and he could feel everyone's eyes on him, so he trained his attention forward, ignoring their stares. He couldn't be the only one who was late. He glanced around and noticed that Baekhyun wasn't there so that soothed him. He was sure that once he entered, all the attention would leave him.

Kyungsoo's hair was unstyled for the first time that Jongin had ever seen. It lay flat, side-swept fringe half tucked behind his ear and his glasses were hanging around his neck. He looked exhausted and annoyed. He sighed and then groaned. "I don't want to alarm anyone," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Communications with the shuttle are currently down. And by extension, SS SM." He raised his hands quickly as everyone began looking around and whispering. "Don't panic."

The dread that Jongin had thought he'd gotten rid of settled over him, rolling down his back with the cold sweat that beaded. If they could not communicate with the shuttle then there were several options that could happen. The shuttle would attempt to pick them all up after two days of no communication and they would have to forfeit the mission and return to the station.

Option two was that something happened to the shuttle and they were stranded, a thought that Jongin did not want to dwell on. And the final option would be that they got communications back and carried on as usual. It was the ideal option and Jongin hoped for the best.

"Right now, Baekhyun is working to fix the communications, so we have forty-eight hours to work before the shuttle attempts to rendezvous with us," Kyungsoo said. He ran his fingers through his red hair, fanning it spectacularly. "So we're starting early, to get as much done as possible." He blinked a few times at everyone and then spoke again sounding a little more than agitated, "Get moving." He slipped out the door and Jongin glanced around before falling into step behind him.

"Kyungsoo?" Jongin asked, quickly catching up and then slowing his pace to match Kyungsoo's smaller gait.

His shoulders still ached and they were only getting tighter by each second. At this point, he figured his anxiety would be a constant on this mission, especially since he could hardly go more than a few days without it strangling his thoughts. In fact, the only time he ever felt calm was when he was engrossed in his work, but now that they were being forced to work, it was going to taint that as well.

Kyungsoo smiled at Jongin, soothing his nerves a bit. "Coffee first, then we'll talk." He walked briskly to the observation dome, lab coat swishing with each step.

Jongin was suddenly aware that he was still barefoot and wearing his pajamas and found himself fixated on the way Kyungsoo's lab coat moved. He wished he had enough forethought to at least slip on a pair of shoes or grab his own coat before taking off after the biologist, but it was too late for that now. He was stuck being horribly under-dressed.

They were quiet as the coffee brewed. Only the sound of it bubbling and whirring in the air, leaving Jongin to his thoughts which raced by too fast to get a firm grasp on them. The lights in the sky began to multiply and Jongin watched them.

This planet was beautiful, but even the lights did not compare to a simple starry night back on Earth. He found himself actually wishing to go back, but he also desperately wanted complete this mission without any hiccups. Tired of being in his own head, he snuck glances at Kyungsoo and drank in his smooth skin and sharp jawline. It was a welcomed distraction. He had admired him for so long that these little moments where he let himself indulge actually calmed him.

The coffee machine sputtered to a stop and Kyungsoo poured them both a mug. He handed Jongin one and made his way to the sofa and set his down on the table. At least someone was using it, Jongin thought as he joined Kyungsoo on the sofa. His leg brushed against Kyungsoo’s and he started to move it, but stopped, reveling in the warmth of his leg through his thin pajama pants. It sparked a different kind of adrenaline in his veins, one that offered the reward of oxytocin and tingles down his spine.

He tried to distract himself again with his mug. Today’s flavor of coffee was hazelnut and the richness occupied all of Jongin’s senses as he sipped it. It was sweet but nutty and laced with the familiar hint of cocoa. His eyes closed as he savored it.

It was moments like these that he could almost forget he was on another planet and instead back home in his kitchen enjoying the quiet, early hours of his house. His family had always been the loud and boisterous type, while he had been more of the kind to enjoy moments of silence. Mornings back home, before the sun rose and while his parents and sister slept, were the only moments of peace he found.

Beside him Kyungsoo clanked his mug on the table, pulling Jongin back to reality. He shifted on the sofa, firmly pressing his leg against Jongin’s and leaning towards him. “What did you need to talk to me about, Jongin?”

The sweet tingle of infatuation ran under Jongin's skin at the sound of his name on Kyungsoo's tongue. He had a way of making Jongin feel small and at the same time so important. He was hyper aware of Kyungsoo’s slack clad thigh against his. As his eyes traveled down the length of fabric, he found it hard to think clearly.

“I really admire how you stay so calm in these situations. Especially since I'm currently freaking out on the inside.”

It was true, he really did admire the biologist for that, but as the heat crept through his body he was thankful that was all that left his mouth. It was still hard to be around him like this, alone, and in such close proximity.

Kyungsoo’s lips quirked and he leaned back in the sofa, draping his arms over the back. It made him look inviting.

“That's all perfectly natural...feeling uneasy that is, not the admiration, but I'll take that, too.”

Jongin wasn't sure if he was imagining the flirtatious tinge to his words, or if it was actually happening. Still, he glanced from Kyungsoo towards the glass and watched the plants sway in the moderate breeze outside. Their glowing stalks twisted and turned, brightening with each movement.

“Yeah,” Jongin breathed, returning his attention to his superior. His face felt warm and every time he caught Kyungsoo’s eye it grew warmer. His flicked his eyes over to the design of the coffee table and studied it while he fought to keep the smile off his face. His heart was beating too loud for him to form any words. Not that he could say anything other than his desires for Kyungsoo.

"I admire your hard work as well,” Kyungsoo said. He shifted and reached for his mug. He brought it to his lips and eyed Jongin playfully over the brim. “Anything else you'd like to confess?” He said as he placed it back on the table with another clank.

Jongin’s mind swam. Kyungsoo had complimented him and now all he could do was repeat the words over and over in his head for the moment. Of course, there were a billion things he wanted to say to Kyungsoo, but with how clouded his mind was, he knew it would be best not to, so he bit his tongue.

As he looked around the room he was suddenly brought back to the realization that they were in danger of losing the mission and the aching anxiety returned.

“Do we really only have forty-eight hours left of the mission?”

Finally, he was getting his mind back on the issue at hand. He didn't want everything to end so soon, they had so much more to discover and to learn about Wanderer One.

Kyungsoo leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. His expression grew serious. “Forty-seven and a half now. But, if Baekhyun can’t get the servers to work, then yes, our time is severely cut short.” He laced his fingers together and stared out the dome, eyebrows furrowed.

He seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and in a way he really did, Jongin thought. Everyone was counting on this mission being a success, because if it was, then it would open the doors for more exploration and a better understanding of the rogue planets. Not only that, but it would shine some light on the mystery of life itself and that was something that made Jongin eager to complete the mission with no complications.

Jongin drained the rest of his coffee while he thought. If they failed, then it would blemish Kyungsoo’s record and by extension all of theirs because they would be known for the failed mission on Wanderer One. It would sit on their resumes until the end of time and when the time came for more forums requesting new missions, they could possibly end up waitlisted until the executives felt that they were to be trusted again. He stood and reached for Kyungsoo’s mug to go wash them. He was feeling too jittery to talk now, but he wasn't ready to leave the room yet.

He knew his work-crush was starting to grow into something larger and he didn't want to risk future employment under Kyungsoo. But he was the forbidden fruit, the one person he knew he should pursue and that made him all the more enticing.

Yet, at the same time, Jongin knew there was someone more within the realms of possibility. Baekhyun was someone else who was catching his fancy and despite this being a mission focused on scientific discovery, Jongin was still very much enthralled by the both of them.

It was like a battle between the two sides, but neither really knew that he returned their interest unless they read into his shy glances and awkward words. If anything, he would wait until the mission was over to do anything. That way he would not fall under scrutiny and would eventually be able to make a choice.

“Leave ‘em,” Kyungsoo waved his hand in the air, “I’ll get to them later.”

Jongin paused, arm outstretched and his stomach flipped at the command. He then let his arm flop to his side. Now he did not have a reason to linger in the room. He stood awkwardly for a moment and then sighed. Kyungsoo had successfully killed the mood with his silent brooding, so Jongin figured he wanted to be alone. “Better get dressed,” he offered Kyungsoo a tight smile and a nod.

Fingers encircled his wrist as he moved to leave and pulled him down. Jongin tripped over his feet and landed, half on top of Kyungsoo, foreheads knocking. Blood rushed through his body, heart pumping loudly. Jongin froze, nose hovering just a hairsbreadth over Kyungsoo’s. His face was on fire and Kyungsoo’s mirrored his. Pink blossoming on the apples of his cheeks and eyes wide and searching. Jongin held his breath and considered kissing him, but much to his surprise, the latter beat him to it.

The whisper of his lips sent shocks down Jongin’s spine. A soft moan escaped the smaller man and Jongin moved to deepen the kiss without thinking. However, as sudden as the kiss had begun, it ended when Kyungsoo shoved Jongin off of him and onto the floor. His head hit the corner of the table and he grunted and rubbed the back of his head, feeling very much confused and also a bit hurt. He watched as Kyungsoo brushed himself off and straightened his coat.

“Never speak of this.” He cleared his throat and left without looking back, shoes echoing down the hall.

Jongin jerked his head back as if slapped. Why would he even kiss him if he was going to react like that. Had Jongin done something wrong? Was he a bad kisser? He brought his fingers to his lips, the ghost of Kyungsoo's already fading. His emotions tangled themselves, confusion knotting into hurt and disappointment. What he thought had been his moment to win Kyungsoo over had amounted to nothing more than an apparent mistake and it stung.

He sat in the room mulling over the kiss, and the tiny sound Kyungsoo had made and decided that it was time for him to forget about his emotions and focus on work. Kyungsoo had made his decision and Jongin could do nothing about it. It bothered him, because all he wanted was for someone to want him like he did them, but perhaps he had read into things too much.

He had reacted too strongly and now things were going to be awkward. He told himself he would force himself to get over Kyungsoo, to separate his admiration of his accolades from his attraction to him and become simply professional. It was where he messed up, and now he wanted to fix it.

After all, they only had less than two days to discover as much as possible before the rendezvous and Kyungsoo had said that the mission came first. With that in mind, Jongin steeled himself, determined to get as much work done as possible to make a great name for himself.

Jongin rotated the small fluffy bird-like creature in his gloved hand. He was using the glove box -- an apparatus that allowed one to observe a subject without introducing it to a foreign environment -- and the small creature chirped softly. Its body was covered in thin, downy feathers that poofed out around it’s slender and lightweight frame. It didn’t have wings, and based on the footage captured by the rovers, it moved based on wind currents.

The fluffy feathers would catch a gust of wind and lift it higher into the air much like how certain creatures moved underwater. It had small legs with three long talons on each foot, used to grip the bark of the trees to prevent from being blown away when it had perched somewhere it wanted to stay, and no arms. Its head was bare, gray in color and mottled with small deposits of luciferin that glowed purple.

Jongin pressed gently against its body, feeling the fragility of its tiny ribcage and it chirped again. It had large eyes, like most of the life on this dark planet, that blinked quickly each time Jongin touched it. It was kind of cute and when Jongin lightly stroked the top of its head, it trilled softly.

He smiled at it and gave it a few more scratches, thoroughly entertained by the way it leaned into his gloved fingers. After a while, he pulled his arms out of the gloves, leaving them hanging out the side. The creature hopped around inside the box, chirps turning to low trills. He watched it for a few seconds, his heart aching dully for his own pets back on earth. He wondered briefly if he’d see them before they grew old and passed, and that instantly depressed him.

In an attempt to distract himself, Jongin noted down his observations -- size, nature, and behavior of the creature on his notebook. He was excited to be the one doing the live observations, as it took his mid off of the events of this morning, but at the same time being off by himself left him to his thoughts. He sighed, placed a blanket over the box and lifted it, carrying it to the room that housed the rovers while trying his best not to relive the kiss. When he arrived, he dimmed the lights and removed the blanket.

After placing a false wall in the container to keep the creature from escaping, he removed the side with the attached gloves -- pulling them off and tossing them in the bin to be resterilized. He placed the gloved pane on the table and lowered the box into the rover.

The creature eyed him nervously, its talons clicking as it slid on the smooth surface and Jongin felt sympathy for the animal. It had been minding its own business before it was rudely kidnapped and brought into a strange place with bright lights. If he were the creature, he’d be quite scared as well. Once the box was sufficiently secured, he gave it a pat and waved to the creature wishing it a safe journey back home.

On the wall, was a button that opened the doors and sent the rovers outside. He thumbed it, sighing and chewed his lip as the door ascended slowly, feeling as though with each inch the door raised, the clearer his thoughts screamed in his mind.

_Never speak of this._

The rover sprang to life, lights flashing and rolled out the door taking his memory of this morning with it, he hoped. He sighed and pressed the button again to close the door and left the room, knowing that the rover would release the creature once it returned to the location it was found in.

Returning to the lab, he collected his notes and stacked them on the growing pile on the desk. He tried his best to appear completely unbothered by Kyungsoo’s presence by making the stack neat. Once the communication link was back up, he would have a lot of backlogging to do. He groaned at the thought of more sleepless nights and trudged across the lab. It seemed everyone was sharing the same thought as they wore the same dreadful expressions as they too piled papers on their workspaces.

After shucking off his coat and hanging it on the hook, he made sure to avoid looking at Kyungsoo as he left the lab. It still stung a bit, but he was ready to put it behind him at this point. There was nothing he could do aside from putting his all into the mission. He didn't mind doing that, especially because they were working on borrowed time. Besides, knowing where he stood with the biologist actually would make things easier for him. Once he was able to move on from those feelings, he would be able to work with him more easily.

There was a bright side to everything, Jongin thought as he paused by the door. He yawned, suddenly feeling extremely tired and rightfully so since he had been working nonstop for the last eighteen hours.

The deadline was approaching so quickly that in lieu of taking notes, he had set up the camera to record as much as possible. They would use those to study once they returned to the space station.

Without looking back, he slipped out the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He could maybe catch an hour or two of leisure time before loading up on coffee and retrieving the next specimen that the rover brought back.

The hallway was dimly lit as always, but this time it comforted Jongin as he let his feet take him somewhere. When he came to a stop, he realized he was standing in front of the server room where Baekhyun had been holed up in for the last day. He raised his hand to knock with the back of his knuckles, trying to remember if he had seen Baekhyun last night when everyone crawled to their beds exhausted to catch the few hours of sleep Kyungsoo was allotting them.

The door swung open and Baekhyun stood there, hair disheveled and clothes astray. He blinked up at Jongin blearily and yawned. Jongin balked at him.

“Did you...did you sleep in there?” He frowned, wanting to reach out to Baekhyun and thank him for working so tirelessly.

As he stared at him, he realized he hadn't seen him at all for the last day and felt a pang of guilt. Baekhyun had to have been working through the night while everyone else slept. He was always doing that, constantly staying busy during the day that Jongin hardly got to see him. He hoped he was doing okay.

Baekhyun laughed for a second before it died in his throat, stealing away his usual bright smile. “Yeah,” he said.

He stepped back and let Jongin inside, rubbing his eye furiously and yawning again. He had to be so tired. It brought a quirk to Jongin’s lips.

The room had several black towers with dozens of ports on them and small LED bulbs that were currently off. Wires were neatly bound by zip ties according to color. They ran through the room like multicolored rivers, following bends around tables and climbing walls in their neat bundles. Jongin gasped. For a room full of wires and metal, it was a beautiful sight to behold all on its own.

“This is amazing,” Jongin whispered. He walked carefully in the room, afraid to touch anything, or brush against any of the bundles of wires. He came to a table with various devices on it, all in different stages of completion. He stared at them, enthralled. This must have been where Baekhyun spent his time whenever Jongin was working.

Baekhyun wandered up to Jongin, hand clamped to his neck, rubbing it, and a shy smile on his face. “I can be a little anal about my wire management,” Baekhyun said. His skin on his neck was red where he had been rubbing it and he gave Jongin a bashful grin.

Jongin picked up one of the devices on the table and turned it over in his hands. He knew Baekhyun was smart but he had no idea that the man dabbled in creating or inventing things. “What’s this for?” It had a red light that blinked dimly. There were also several short wires connected to a small motherboard. He eyed the soldering and then looked back to Baekhyun, awe flowing through him. Baekhyun was kind of amazing.

Long fingers plucked it from his palm and Baekhyun placed it delicately back on the table. “Just a side project. Nothing serious.” He sighed and then looked down at his feet, his expression growing solemn. “I get bored when you guys spend all your time in the lab.”

 _Oh._ Jongin gently reached out and touched Baekhyun's shoulder, causing the latter to gaze up at him. He had not thought about how Baekhyun must feel when he, Luhan, Kyungsoo and the techs all spent hours bent over their work, cracking inside-jokes with each other and generally being exclusionary towards Baekhyun. It was no wonder he had asked Jongin to bunk with him. He must have predicted that he would be the odd one out on a team of scientists.

Jongin gave him a soft, lopsided smile, “You know you’re more than welcome to hang out with us in there.” He wished he had realized that he had been acting that way, but it was hard when no one else noticed either.

His team just gelled well, and Jongin never noticed that they had been leaving Baekhyun out. He just figured that he was always busy. They still talked at night and recounted their days, but Jongin guessed he had never really paid too much attention to the _way_ Baekhyun said things.

“You say that, but whenever I walk in the room, everyone gets quiet, like I’m some kind of pariah,” he shook his head, looking away. “It’s only two more weeks anyway, so I’ll be fine.” He lifted one of the devices and examined it. He seemed to be focusing all his attention on it to hide the emotion that flashed over his face and filled his eyes.

Jongin ached for him. He really did. He was familiar with the feeling of exclusion and was often on the receiving end of it back in school. He had always been one of the quiet ones so people tended to assume he was disinterested in them and never included him in their activities. He mentally slapped himself and let his hand slide down to Baekhyun's hand, not really sure where he was going with all this contact, but doing it nonetheless.

“Come hang out with me tomorrow, I’m doing more tactile observations so we'll get to hold the creatures. They're quite cute, really.” He smiled softly at him, hoping that he could convince Baekhyun to come along. He spent so much time being caught up in Kyungsoo, that he neglected Baekhyun and he wanted to fix that.

Baekhyun grinned and the whole world stopped. Jongin stood there, utterly dazzled and brain quickly deconstructing into mush. His smile was infectious and Jongin's grew larger as a blush crept across his cheeks. It was the second time Baekhyun had had this effect on Jongin.

His stomach fluttered and Jongin glanced to the ground, unable to make eye contact anymore. It was too much for him. A pitiful nervous laugh bubbled out of him and he bit his lip to catch himself. _How could someone be so magical?_

When he glanced back up, Baekhyun’s eyes were practically sparkling. “I’d like that,” he said and placed the device back on the table.

Jongin wet his lips, heart pounding in his chest as Baekhyun stepped closer to him. He had no idea what he was going to do, but whatever it was, he knew he wouldn't mind. He inhaled, prepared to say something when Baekhyun reached past him and flipped a switch on the wall.

The room hummed as the servers came to life, each with dozens of lights now flashing brightly. He must have fixed them earlier, but Jongin paused, mind racing. If the servers were fixed, then why hadn’t he turned them on earlier? It could have save them all the trouble of scrambling to get work done, unless… Jongin gave him an inquisitive look.

“I fixed them a few hours ago,” Baekhyun breathed. He was still standing so close to Jongin, close enough that Jongin could feel his body heat and that was chasing away Jongin’s suspicions.

“A few faulty wires and a shorted breaker don’t take long to fix,” Baekhyun whispered and gazed up into Jongin's eyes. His breath hitched and he froze, lips slightly parted and chin tilted upwards.

Jongin's body tingled. “Why wait then?” he asked.

He stepped forward half a step. He was almost a head taller than Baekhyun and now they were nearly close enough to touch noses. His pulse quickened and he found himself breathing a bit heavier than normal. The sexual tension between them was palpable. Jongin shifted and watched as Baekhyun wet his lips with a dart of his tongue. Heat spread throughout him, settling low in his abdomen. He wanted to kiss him so badly, but after this morning, he didn't want to be the one to make the move.

“I was going to turn them on at the last minute,” Baekhyun murmured, somehow moving closer but still not close enough. “Then, everyone would think I was some type of hero.” The tips of his ears reddened and Jongin's heart fluttered in his chest again.

“But you are one,” Jongin whispered, eyes flicking between Baekhyun's gaze and his lips. They looked so soft. “I mean, you just saved our mission.” If he tilted his head just a bit, their lips would touch, but neither moved as their breaths mingled. Jongin swore he could hear both of their hearts beating erratically.

Another moment passed and Jongin closed his eyes as he leaned in. It was a gentle brushing at first, hesitant and innocent, and Baekhyun's lips were just as soft as he thought they would be. Tingles ran down his spine and the heat in his gut came to life, burning bright and shrouding every nerve in his body with fire. He whimpered when Baekhyun pulled back slightly and he moved to reconnect their mouths.

Kissing him was something out of this world. He parted his lips slightly at the languid swipe of Baekhyun's tongue and let him in, toes curling at the sensation. He snaked his arms around Baekhyun, palms memorizing every inch of his back through the fabric of his shirt.

He felt hot and when Baekhyun nipped at his lip playfully, he moaned. Fingers teased the hem of his top and then slipped under, roaming his body and Jongin melted under the touch. He needed him like he needed his lungs to breathe, his eyes to see and ears to hear. He sighed against Baekhyun’s mouth. He had only been kissed like this in his dreams.

He braced himself against the desk, one hand gripping the smooth edge as his legs opened, letting Baekhyun come closer and press their bodies together. His other hand moved to the back of Baekhyun's head, tangling in the silky strands. They kissed for what felt like hours and it left Jongin's whole body buzzing. Baekhyun's long fingers danced over his skin under his shirt, moving from his front to his lower back as he slipped his tongue into Jongin's mouth again, lapping inside.

Suddenly, the door clanged open and Luhan’s voice startled them both. “Oi! Servers are back up, Jongin, get your ass to the computer and --” Luhan skidded to a stop, jaw popping open and eyes wide in surprise.

Jongin and Baekhyun sprung apart, faces ablaze and frantically straightening their clothes. He felt like a teenager being caught by his parents. He'd been so lost in the moment that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. Sheepish embarrassment flooded through Jongin and he stole a glance at Baekhyun before looking back at Luhan. He hoped that Luhan wouldn't go around telling everyone what he saw, but with the way he was looking between the two of them, eyes glittering with mischief, Jongin knew it was a lost cause.

A wicked grin crossed Luhan’s face and he wriggled his eyebrows. “I’ll leave you two gents to it then.” He backed out of the room, whistling.

The door closed with a soft click and Jongin turned to Baekhyun who was staring at the ground wide-eyed and half smiling to himself like he couldn't believe what had just happened. And to be frank, neither could Jongin. He had decided that he was going to give up on all the romance on this mission, but when Baekhyun looked up at him, he figured that maybe he'd give things another shot. He never would have thought that after the way his morning went that he would be this high on cloud nine, but Baekhyun had a way of doing that to him.

“Well that was nice,” Jongin said and then he literally facepalmed, grinding the heel of his hand into his forehead. Why couldn’t he have said anything other than that? He had all these nice thoughts about Baekhyun floating around in his head and his mouth chose those words. He seemed to be doomed to be forever awkward around him. “I mean--”

“Yeah, it was nice,” Baekhyun sighed happily. He beamed at Jongin for a moment and then laughed. “It was really nice.”

“Right,” Jongin said. He ran his fingers through his hair, loosening the tangles Baekhyun had given him. He definitely wanted to do that again. Perhaps sooner rather than later, but he didn't want to push his luck.

So, after giving Baekhyun another shy smile, he dipped out of the server room and headed to pick up the next specimen for him to examine. Today was turning out to be quite great.


	12. April 19th, 20XX

##  **April 19th, 20XX**

* * *

The last few days, after the small interludes Jongin had with both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, were more or less normal. Jongin fell back into his usual routine of waking up, going to the observatory dome and drinking coffee while he woke up, and then throwing himself into his work. The only difference this time was that Baekhyun had been joining him on his daily activities whenever he had time.

Although, it seemed like he had more time than Jongin had thought, as he had been somewhat of a fixture at Jongin's side. Not that he was complaining, because whenever they both had a moment to spare, they stole away to the server room for some one on one time.

This morning was supposed to be no different, so Jongin rolled out of bed and snaked his hand onto Baekhyun’s bunk and nudged him. The latter rolled over and mumbled in his sleep, pulling the blankets tighter around him and stretching his legs out, splaying his toes. It was cute.

A smile pulled at Jongin’s lips and he quietly padded out of their room. He figured he’d let him sleep in after the late night they had last night putting in all the data Jongin had neglected to upload.

It was after Jongin had returned from doing more tactical observations when he noticed Baekhyun furiously tapping away on a keyboard with half of Jongin's notes on his desk. He had an empty mug of coffee sitting next to the terminal and a pencil resting behind his ear.

Jongin had stood by the doorway for a moment just watching him tap away before he came up behind him and gave him a squeeze on the shoulders in thanks. Between the two of them, they finished inputting his backlogged notes around three am station time and that allowed Jongin to get some sleep before it was time to get up and return to work.

After his morning coffee, Jongin shrugged his lab coat on and flicked on the lights in the lab. The brightness blinded him for a moment and he blinked away the spots that danced in his vision.

No one else was awake yet, so he set off to the rovers to send them out. He hummed softly to himself as he made his way through the maze lightly slapping an open palm to a fist making a popping sound. These past few days, he was in a great mood.

Jongin opened the door and called out, “Good morning guys, it’s time for you to start your day!”

He walked over to each one, quickly checking them to make sure they were in working condition. He greatly missed his dogs back on Earth and the rovers served as makeshift pets for him. It was funny how easily he named them and cared for them as if they were his own.

He fondly petted the rovers on their rough metal exteriors and pulled out the spray can of lubricant. It hissed as he coated the various joints and gave them all a smile once he was done.

He placed his hands on his hips, “Now that you all have been fed, it’s time for you to go out and bring us back something interesting.” He knew they couldn’t hear him, but it helped with his homesickness.

Jongin waved as the rovers rolled out the doors and smiled. He knew that when they returned they would have documented more natural behavior of the animals on this planet and more than a few new specimens for them to examine.

Just the other day they had brought back footage of small bear-like creatures playing in a tiny field of incandescent flowers while the adult stalked prey nearby. While their heads were shaped very much like bears with rounded ears and wide faces, the rest of their bodies were slender and purple glowing deposits lined their spines and legs.

The doors ground shut, screeching as they did so and Jongin whirled around to come face to face with Kyungsoo, who was eyeing him suspiciously. His face immediately felt warm, having been caught talking to the rovers, but he hoped Kyungsoo had not seen him. He knew he’d never live it down if he did.

“Did you just -- were you petting them?” Kyungsoo asked, incredulous.

“Did you _see_ me pet them?” Jongin asked.

Things had returned to normal with Kyungsoo ever since their morning in the observatory. Kyungsoo had enforced their professional relationship and Jongin followed his lead, slipping back into his second-in-command role effortlessly. He was grateful that they did not have to actually talk about what happened as it was much easier to brush it under the rug and forget about it.

Besides, Jongin had Baekhyun now and even though he had not initially pursued him, he was falling for him with each day. He had such an easy-going nature that Jongin couldn't help but return and it was honestly no wonder that they got on so well so quickly.

Kyungsoo laughed and it was a rich sound that filled the room. “I definitely saw you pet them.” He lightly slapped Jongin’s arm, lips in a heart-shaped smile. The smile that still made Jongin’s breath falter. Kyungsoo's smile wobbled for a split second before it disappeared completely. “You had dogs back on earth, right?”

Jongin nodded. He missed them terribly. They helped him get through university, especially when times got hard and he wanted to give up. He would look into their little furry faces and with renewed energy he would jump back into whatever was giving him trouble and complete it. It was silly that they inspired him so much, but they did, and he wanted to be someone they could be proud of, even if they were just dogs.

He smiled as he tapped the armband on his wrist and a short video popped up. Kyungsoo circled around Jongin and leaned in, watching as three dogs ran and chased each other in a large grass field. They had really been the light in Jongin's life.

Kyungsoo grabbed Jongin’s arm, pulling it closer, and then chuckled. His gaze moved to Jongin's face and he nodded. “Makes sense, you know? You’re always so gentle with every specimen the rovers bring back here.” He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled softly. “And you always have this smile on your face when you watch them interact with each other.”

Jongin paused and looked at Kyungsoo, eyebrows raised in surprise. “You watch me?”

“Only about as much as you watch me,” Kyungsoo said, his smile taking on a wicked tinge. A scarlet lock of hair escaped his perfectly manicured coif and hung in the middle of his forehead. Without realizing it, Jongin found himself reaching to fix his hair and Kyungsoo let him. He held his breath, knowing that he was toeing the line of professionalism again.

A sound at the door startled Jongin and he ripped his hand away from Kyungsoo's face, guilt spreading across his chest and the ever present heat returning to his cheeks. He hadn't actually touched Kyungsoo, so he hadn't broken any unsaid rules, he told himself. In the doorway stood Baekhyun, glasses in one hand, rubbing his eyes and still dressed in his pajamas.

“You already sent them out?” His voice was thick with drowsiness.

He slid his glasses on and surveyed the room with a small pout. Jongin mentally kicked himself for not waiting for Baekhyun, he knew how much he enjoyed sending them off with him. Also, if he had waited then he would not have been alone with Kyungsoo and his tempting hair. Not that Baekhyun and Jongin were in a relationship per say, but they had _something_ going on and he really did not want to mess that up.

Jongin blushed deeper, “Yeah, I wanted to let you sleep in after you helped me last night.” He realized how close he was standing to Kyungsoo and stepped away as discreetly as he could, but it did not work.

Baekhyun’s eyes flicked between the two and he gave Jongin a tight smile. “Well, I’ll see you around then.”

 _Shit._ The gears in Jongin's mind clicked to a stop. “You’re not joining me in the lab?”

He noticed Kyungsoo scrutinizing them both out of the corner of his eye and tried to keep his expression neutral. But it was hard when Baekhyun's face iced over and Jongin had no choice but to give Baekhyun a pleading look.

“I have some stuff to take care of first,” Baekhyun said. He gave Kyungsoo and Jongin one final look and then padded out of the room and down the hall.

Jongin watched him go, feeling like he had messed things up somehow. He chewed his lip while he thought. It wasn’t as if Baekhyun had walked in on them doing anything, they were just standing near each other. Albeit, they were having a somewhat intimate moment, but Jongin didn’t do anything wrong, did he?

Kyungsoo clapped a hand on his shoulder suddenly and gave it a squeeze. He said nothing for the duration of their eyes meeting and sighed, “Better go check out those invertebrates." The lock of hair had fallen again but this time Jongin did not move to fix it.

A few hours later, one of the rovers returned with a small animal that fell into the mammalian category in the specimen box. Like most of the creatures on Wanderer One, it had large pupil-less eyes framed with thick lashes.

However, that was where the similarities stopped. It was covered in short but thick fur that was translucent and apparently hollow as the form of bioluminescence for this creature was at the root of the hair but it shined through the strand, to the tips. It was reminiscent of the hollow quills of a porcupine but the fur was fine instead of coarse.

This in and of itself was an amazing discovery. It was the first creature that had fur made from keratin, like hair on earth, and it was also the first animal that seemed to display through different colors. In the darkness of the rover room the fur flashed a soft pink, seemingly throbbing with the beating of its heart, but as they traveled with the creature, the flashing slowed until it was slowly flowing from pink to a cool purple color.

Jongin nudged Baekhyun and talked excitedly, “You know what this means, right?”

This would open doors to other forms of life on the planet. Jongin felt his mind filling with the possibilities of what else there could be. If there were furred mammals, then maybe there was a link to the mammals on earth. He wondered why these certain characteristics seemed to group together so frequently that even an alien planet had them and his smile only grew. It could be endless reasons and Jongin wanted to explore them all.

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders, face blank. “I don’t know.”

Just like that, Jongin’s excitement faded. He felt his face tighten and the rapid thoughts of possible discoveries slowed to a stop, replacing themselves with questions. He furrowed his brows and frowned. Baekhyun was acting strange ever since he came to join Jongin in the lab today.

When he wasn't staring at Kyungsoo, he was staring off in the distance and as much as Jongin wanted to enjoy having him around in the lab, he was really putting a damper on his mood.

“It means that…” he started and then noticed the way the corners of Baekhyun's mouth were down-turned. “Are you okay?” He whispered it, hoping not to draw the attention of Luhan who had been giving him and Baekhyun the ‘wriggling eyebrows’ every time he saw them together. It was quite embarrassing.

Baekhyun pushed away from the glovebox and sighed, “I’m just not feeling so well.” He gave Jongin a quick smile and left, hand brushing against Jongin’s back.

Jongin watched the door swing shut and frowned. He knew he’d talk to Baekhyun later, but for now, he had to focus on his job. Looking back at the furry little rodent, he rolled back his shoulders and smiled. This was going to be one of the biggest discoveries during the whole mission.

Linking alien life to Earth life not only in composition, but also in family and evolutionary attributes was going to be big. He quickly scribbled a few words down in shorthand and slid his hand back in the glove.

The small creature let out a small squeak when the gloves moved again. He apologized quietly as he picked it up and let it sit in the palm of his hand while he waited for its hummingbird heart to slow down.

He gradually turned it, examining his tiny body. It was tailless and had small feet with small claws on it. It also had a long snout like a shrew that twitched as it sniffed the air in the box. Jongin placed it gently on the glass bottom and watched it tentatively scurry about. He slipped a hand out and continued to scribble more notes.

After a few hours of observations, he removed both hands from the glovebox and started towards the rover room to send it out for release. They never kept any of the vertebrates longer than they needed, out of fear of disrupting their delicate lives, so they were released once all possible notes were taken. Video files were attached to each specimen's reports so that they could review them later once they left Wanderer One.

Jongin waved off the rover and the small creature and left, feeling successful. Once in the hallway, he headed towards the server room, hoping to talk to Baekhyun about this morning. He started to open the door, but he heard Baekhyun talking and paused. It sounded like he was recording his daily video diary, so Jongin sighed and decided on a shower instead. It would help him sort his thoughts better anyway and he wanted to be prepared when he and Baekhyun spoke.

The dome where the showers were was near the observation dome. It was softly lit with warm lights and had gym-style community showers with no source of privacy. All steam and runoff water were collected and sent to the atomizer to be recycled and all waste was safely packaged to be taken to the shuttle when it returned at the end of the mission.

These measures and much more helped keep human waste from polluting the planet as much as possible. Of course some things would end up escaping, like some carbon dioxide emissions but other than that, the team really tried their best to recycle everything they could.

In the showers, Jongin scrubbed his body leisurely. It was not like he actually got dirty standing in a lab all day, but for some reason he felt extra grimy. He dragged the loofa across his skin roughly, leaving red trails behind. The hot water burned his skin, but that was how Jongin liked it. He turned to face the water, washing his face and almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his back.

“Chill, it’s just me,” Luhan said. He turned on the faucet next to Jongin and dipped his head under the water, slicking his hair back and catching some water in his mouth before spitting it out. Then, he raised a neatly sculpted eyebrow at Jongin. “Trouble in paradise?”

Jongin scoffed, “No.”

Luhan had been increasingly involved in Jongin's recent activities lately, so much so, that Jongin wondered how he ever got work done. In the lab he was consistently giving him and Baekhyun _the look_ or watching them closely with a grin on his face.

In fact, every time Jongin would glance at him to see what he was doing, he was propped up against the wall behind his techs watching him and Baekhyun. What had Luhan so interested in them, Jongin didn't know, but he also wasn't sure he wanted to know either. Luhan should he have been focusing on the chemical makeup of this planet and not the chemistry between him and Baekhyun, anyway.

He poured shampoo in his hands and lathered up his hair. Vague memories of the feeling of Baekhyun's fingers came to the front of his mind, but Jongin squashed them down, not wanting to think about it now. Especially not when he had company in the showers.

Although, the steam in the room increased, nearly masking Luhan beside him, Jongin was not about to give Luhan more ammo to use against him. But it was hard when every time he closed his eyes, he swore he felt the ghost of Baekhyun's hands running over his body.

He sighed, “Distract me please.” Hands touched Jongin’s side and slipped up. Jongin jerked away, feeling scandalized and hissed, “Not that kind of distraction!”

“Should’ve been more specific,” Luhan laughed. He was silent for a bit before talking. “You know on my last mission, I had a little fling, too.”

Ah, so now Jongin was about to find out why Luhan was so invested. Still, how he knew what to say always astounded Jongin. It was like Luhan could dip into his mind and pluck out whatever was worrying him and then offer some form of advice. He really appreciated that about him. Jongin shut off the water and walked carefully to the towel rack and began drying himself off.

“Really?” He was hoping whatever story Luhan told this time would help him sort through whatever was going on.

The hiss of the water stopped and Luhan joined him, tossing a towel around his neck and using another one to dry off his body. “Yeah, a cute little thing too. We were all hot and heavy damn near every night.” He laughed, “I actually got us in trouble because we were so loud it woke up the captain. And nobody was supposed to do that. He was a scary man, ya know? Big, burly, barrel-chested man with a mean mug. But, between you and me, he was a big ole softy. Wanna know what he did?” Luhan glanced at Jongin, drying his hair now. His grin flashed through the motion of the towel.

Jongin shook his head and pulled a shirt on. Knowing Luhan, he probably was separated from whoever he was with just to give the captain some peace of mind. The fabric clung to his slightly damp skin. He should have dried off better. “What did he do?”

“Told us to get it out our systems because when we got back to the station, the novelty would wear off and we’d go back to ignoring each other.” He scoffed, “Never got to find out if it was true though. He was sent off on another mission about a week after we got back. I miss him sometimes.”

Absolutely nothing Luhan had said shed any light on his situation so Jongin scrunched his nose, “How is this supposed to help me?” He stepped into his sweatpants and jimmied them up. Usually, Luhan made him feel better, but now he was just mildly annoyed and confused.

“What am I, your after school special?” Luhan yanked a shirt over his head and shook out his hair. He clapped a hand on Jongin’s shoulder. “Listen, this is your first mission, have a little fun, but remember why you’re here." He paused dramatically, wriggling his eyebrows, "To make amazing discoveries that will make everyone bow and kiss the ground you walk on. After all, what is fame other than life’s hand job to stroke your ego?” With that, he left.

Luhan was right... in a lewd way. Jongin was here to discover the secrets of life, not frolic around breaking hearts or getting his broken. Hell, he had been top of his class, so what was he even doing worrying about his infatuation? He didn't want to hurt Baekhyun, but at the same time, he really needed to focus on his work and start acting like the biologist he was.

After the shower, Jongin passed by the server room on his way to collect the video footage from the last of the rovers. They all returned at staggering times, and the one for visual collection always came back the latest. Also, today was his day to go over the footage since Kyungsoo had called an early night and left the lab a few hours earlier.

He hesitated for a second, wondering if Baekhyun would want to come and see the last rover arrive as he had done for the past few days, but decided to leave him be. He was supposed to be focusing on work first, anyway.

Once in the room, he found the rover sitting just outside the door and pressed the button to let it inside. It whirred quietly as it entered its charging station and Jongin shut the door, locking everyone inside for the night.

He whistled to himself as he meandered over to the rover and gave it a nice pet before deftly removing the memory card from it. He rested his hand on it, thoughts swarming in his mind. he wondered what kind of footage the rover captured and hoped that whatever it was it would be worth staying up the extra few hours.

Behind him, the door clicked open, and he turned to find Baekhyun standing, looking unsure, but ready to say something. Baekhyun closed the distance in a few quick steps and gave Jongin a lopsided smile. "I'm sorry for acting childish."

Jongin returned the smile and melted a bit. If he could balance Baekhyun and work then maybe he could get the best of both worlds. So much for only focusing on work, he thought. Baekhyun really had an effect on him. After a few moments, he held up the memory card, "Me too. Wanna watch this with me?"

At his nod, Jongin led them to the lab where they crowded around one monitor in two rolling chairs. Jongin popped the memory card in and the screen came to life. His hands shook, feeling a strong rush of adrenaline once the folder popped up.

For some reason, he sensed that the footage from today would change things drastically. Perhaps it was hopeful thinking, but just the thought of having footage that would make the whole mission worth it was exciting.

"You gonna play it?" Baekhyun asked, giving Jongin a strange look.

"Uh huh," Jongin replied, but hesitated.

What if the footage was something they already had? What if he ended up watching plants sway in the breeze like he had the last time Kyungsoo left him with reviewing duty. That would be boring and one glance to Baekhyun told him that if the two of them got bored, well, not much work would get done.

Jongin just could not help himself when Baekhyun's hand closed over his on the mouse and a charge of electricity passed through his arm straight to his stomach. His breath hitched and he started to lean in towards him but stopped himself. Work first, fun after. Eventually, Baekhyun clicked the mouse for him and they stared at each other for the split second it took for the footage to start, lost in each other's eyes.

The camera was adept in picking up footage in the low light, so it was as if they were outside with the rover as it recorded. A gasp sounded and Jongin realized it came from himself as the view of a huge glowing flow of water splashed down onto rocks. The body of water was so large they couldn't see the end of it.

Various organisms lit up the water causing it to sparkle into a rainbow of color just beneath the surface. The foliage around the waterfall was lush and bright as well, the sluggish beating of the primitive plant-hearts thrumming softly. There was no audio, but they didn't need it.

As the rover approached the water's edge, Jongin noticed that the aquatic life was just as amazing as the life on land, if not more so. The camera neared the water and plunged in, going blank for a second before the underwater world took over the screen. Fish-like creatures flashed rapidly varying colors as they swam in small schools in perfect unison.

Everything under water was fluorescent and neon. Their colors were much brighter than those on land and more varied. It seemed like every creature had the ability to change colors at will. An octopoid creature glided across the rocks, it's bulbous head changing form to match the texture of the river's floor. It had rings of colors around its tentacles that flashed in order of electric blue, neon green, and vibrant purple. It was breathtaking.

The rover removed the camera from the water and began its retreat back into the forest. It seemed the planet was covered by mostly forest with a few small clearings like the one the bunker was in. However, despite all the flora, this was the first water source they had found. Jongin wondered if all the flora were connected underground in some type of large system that shared nutrients. It had yet to precipitate on the planet, so the water cycle was something he was incredibly curious about.

"This is amazing," Baekhyun whispered, eyes glued to the screen. He squeezed Jongin's hand when the rover turned the camera skywards and the ocean of lights above swelled.

Jongin only nodded. It really was something he had never seen before. Of course Earth had its oceans and waterfalls and rivers and lakes, but the glowing life forms were always deep on the ocean's floor, so they could only be seen by special submarines that could handle the pressure. But, here on Wanderer One, where night never ended and everything glowed, Jongin never thought he would be so surprised to discover that the aquatic life was no different.

As the thought dawned on him, Jongin realized that they would need to spend more time on this planet if they ever wanted to fully document the life here and he knew that he wanted to a part of that crew. So far everything they had found was wonderful and absolutely beautiful to behold and the more they discovered the more Jongin realized that they had barely scratched the surface. There was so much potential, so much to learn.

Back on the screen, a dark figure loomed in the distance. Red bioluminescence lined its long lithe body as it prowled. It moved like a feline, haunches rising and falling with every step, but its snout was long and pointed like a lizard's. A glowing tongue flicked out and in. It tilted its head upwards and raised on its hind legs against the trunk of one of the trees. The forest began flashing rapidly.

The creature pushed the tree and it swayed. Whatever was in the branches came hurtling to the ground and landed in a heap. The creature stalked over to the slumped creature and grabbed it in its mouth and gave it a violent shake before dragging it away, eyes trained directly on the rover's camera, threateningly. Once it was gone, the forest calmed and life returned to normal.

"What the hell was that?" Baekhyun asked, his eyes wide. He rewinded the footage and watched it one more time before turning to Jongin.

The smile on Jongin's face could not have been bigger. They finally had footage of _the_ apex predator. "That, right there, was the money shot." He quickly marked down the timestamp and stood up. He needed to tell Kyungsoo immediately. He wasn't sure how the biologist would take to him waking him up, but information such as this could not wait.

After telling Baekhyun that he would meet him back in their bunk, he set off towards Kyungsoo's room with pep in his step. This footage was going to be what they showed the executives when they returned. It would be what would make them allow another, more extensive trip to Wanderer One. Perhaps they would stay for six months next, with a relay of shuttles to bring back some specimens for further study. He couldn't wait.

Kyungsoo came to his door immediately after Jongin knocked and stared at him blearily. He had to have been asleep and normally Jongin would have felt bad, but this was too important. He probably could have waited to tell him in the morning, but this footage was still so fresh and he knew that these kinds of things were best done sooner rather than later.

"This better be some kind of emergency," Kyungsoo groaned and slipped outside his door, closing it behind him.

Jongin thrusted the memory card in his face, grinning, "Even better. We've got footage of the apex predator."

If he didn't already have Kyungsoo's favor, then the contents of the memory card would have earned him such. But, he was already in Kyungsoo's good graces, so all the memory card would do now is give Kyungsoo more reasons to praise him.

Kyungsoo's eyes widened and he plucked the memory card from Jongin's fingers and then stared up at him. "Brilliant!"

He hurried down the hallway, leaving Jongin standing in front of his door, surprised at his speed. After gathering his wits, Jongin followed after him back to the room where he and Baekhyun had been and watched as Kyungsoo clicked the memory card in place and started the video. He wasted no time at all and drummed his fingers while the terminal loaded the card. Once the folder popped up, Kyungsoo clicked frantically as if he could not wait.

Jongin approached and took control of the mouse to skip to the proper timestamp and then studied Kyungsoo's face. He wanted to see just what he looked like when he saw the creature and its behavior. Not many creatures on Earth displayed the same knowledge to move trees, so the fact that this one did meant that it had high intelligence.

A wild grin adorned the biologist's lips as the creature came into frame and when it shoved the tree to bring down its prey, Jongin thought Kyungsoo might have actually gone insane with the absolutely wicked look on his face. "Perfect," Kyungsoo whispered and then spun around in his chair. "Pull up a seat, we're about to log this."

"Right now?" Jongin asked. He had been hoping to return to his bunk to try to get some rest before his early morning tomorrow, but it seemed that duty was calling.

Kyungsoo only raised an eyebrow in response, as if testing him so Jongin sighed and grabbed a chair. He hoped that Baekhyun would understand his absence because it was going to be a long night.


	13. May 17th, 20XX

##  **May 17th, 20XX**

* * *

The gun slapped against Jongin's back he jumped over a particularly large glowing root. He wobbled a bit and Baekhyun steadied him before returning to leading the way, the map projecting from his armband. He had fashioned a sling out of some dead, but still sturdy leaves and tied Jongin's arm close to his chest to keep it from getting injured. Jongin hated that his arm was still weak but he'd take that over being dead any day.

The forest had been relatively quiet since they started walking and the only obstacles they faced were the slow moving roots that pulsated and shifted under the ground. At first when they had landed on the ground, Jongin thought they were being surrounded by glowing snake-like creatures, but he guessed he had never noticed that the roots of the trees were motile.

Jongin braced himself against a glowing trunk as he climbed over another large root and felt the palm of his hand stick to the adhesive that Baekhyun had brought along. In order for them to get down from the branch they had taken salvation on, they had to slide down the trunk and the rough bark had torn holes in their space suits.

Luckily, Baekhyun was incredibly well prepared and had supplies to patch the holes back up. It left their suits looking terrible with the silver tape peeling at the edges of their stained white suits, but Jongin didn't think he'd be keeping this suit once they got home. If they got home that was.

Once he was over the root, he reached for Baekhyun and laced his fingers through his. The thought of never returning made him want to cling to Baekhyun. They shared a look and Baekhyun nodded his head. "Me too," he said and they paused and looked to the sky through the canopy.

A flying animal swooped low on them, knocking against their helmets and then disappeared before Jongin got the chance to get a good look at it. The biologist in Jongin wanted to stop and go after it, but Baekhyun's voice came over the com, "What's that?"

His arm was raised and he was pointing to a bit of white fabric snagged on a bit of underbrush. It was just under where the creature had disappeared to and Jongin's stomach dropped as he stared at it. He had to climb over a fallen tree and writhing roots to get to it, but the closer he got the more the dread coiled within him. He knew what it was but he was praying that somehow it was a trick of the glowing light. That perhaps it wasn't fabric and that it was animal fur, but of all the creatures they had seen, none of them had fur that color.

He brushed aside the vines that hung low and they lit up at the contact. Jongin ignored them and reached for the fabric. He held it in his fingers and tried to still his breathing. He could feel the pressure on his chest grow and his throat tighten.

It was a piece of a space suit. He tried to think of all the reasons for a piece of space suit to be there and thought that maybe it had gotten snagged. But he knew if that were the case then whoever it was would take the time to unhook themselves and keep moving, not just let their suit get ripped. This could only mean one thing. Whoever it belonged to, they were in trouble.

Blood rushed to Jongin's ears as his heart slammed against his ribcage. He whipped around, trying to spot more fabric or even a trail of broken foliage to follow and took off in a sprint, leaping over fallen branches and various other obstacles. The bits of fabric were sporadically left, torn shreds here and there. Some pieces were larger than others and even though Jongin saw the stains, he attempted to convince himself that it wasn't blood he was seeing.

He tried to keep images of either Kyungsoo or Luhan out of his mind, but their faces kept flashing with every piece he gathered. He could still see the way Luhan had looked at him before trekking out the door and into the unforgiving wilderness of Wanderer One. He wished he had said something to him, anything that would have kept him from leaving.

As for Kyungsoo, well he had left without even telling the when he was leaving and all Jongin could do was see the way his face looked in the video. The sorrow, the determination. He knew the suit couldn't have belonged to Kyungsoo because he was always so calm, so it meant that it had been from Luhan.

Suddenly his feet tangled over a vine and he went crashing down, lighting a path as he slid from his momentum. He blinked his eyes, feeling disoriented from all the flashing and the pain that erupted from his shoulder. He had landed on it when he fell and now his vision was fading around the edges. He sucked in a few gasps of air before trying to right himself, vision swimming and his heart ramming against his chest.

Baekhyun was at his side in an instant, helping him stand up, wide eyed and out of breath. "Are you okay?" He asked, brushing the worst of the dirt off of Jongin.

Jongin nodded and touched his shoulder with his good hand, grimacing. It was going to take even longer to heal now. He tried to wiggle his fingers but his muscles screamed at him so he simply adjusted the makeshift sling and picked up the pieces of fabric he had gathered.

"Warn me next time before you take off like that," Baekhyun said. "I turned around and you were gone and if it weren't for the lights I would have been lost." He frowned and looked to the ground to hide his expression, but Jongin had seen the fear in his eyes.

He shouldn't have been so reckless. Neither of them needed to be alone in this forest. They didn't know enough about it and even though they both had a map, they were better off together rather than apart. It was dangerous out here and Jongin really needed to get a hold of himself if they were even going to have a chance at survival. He had their only weapon, so if he and Baekhyun got separated well... He shook his head and stepped closer to Baekhyun. He had to keep things under control.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking," Jongin said as he squeezed the fabric in his hand remembering what had spooked him so bad. He held out the bits, showing them to Baekhyun, "It's one of their suits."

He didn't say who, but one look at Baekhyun's face told him that they both knew who it had to be. Maybe Luhan was still out here. He was probably cold and scared. Or perhaps it could have been from one of the techs. Either way, Jongin wanted to find them as quickly as possible. If they had more people with them, then they could feel safer.

"We have to find them," Jongin said but when he looked up from his hand he saw that Baekhyun was standing a few feet away. Dread filled him and he didn't want to go to where he was. He could tell in the way that Baekhyun was standing that it wasn't anything good. He glanced back at the bits of space suit and then sighed as he walked over to Baekhyun.

On the ground in front of them was a body. It was half nude and covered in gashes from the feet up. Jongin scanned slowly, trying to piece together in his head who it was but as his gaze traveled upward he had to stop and look away. Nausea rolled through him and threatened to expel the meager meal they had eaten only a few hours earlier. This was too much for him. He had known them. He had joked with them. He had loved them and now they were dead. He couldn't bare to even look again in that moment because his throat constricted and a garbled sound escaped. They had been too late.

Arms circled around Jongin's middle and he raised his visor so he could wipe his face with the back of his grimy gloved hand. He hadn't realized he'd been crying but who wouldn't be crying at this point? Death was never easy and to see the aftermath of something to brutal and gruesome was going to scar Jongin for the rest of his life.

The rough edges of the adhesive scratched his cheeks as he dragged the back of his hand soaking up the tears. He tried to turn back, to identify who it was, but Baekhyun was holding him tightly and keeping him still.

"It's Luhan," his voice came out as a barely audible whisper. Jongin jerked against Baekhyun trying to see, but Baekhyun's arms squeezed him even tighter.

"Lemme see him," Jongin sobbed, still struggling against his embrace, but his strength was waning as the sobs wracked his body. Luhan had been so young, so lively and vibrant and now he was laying on the ground cold and dead.

Baekhyun's voice was shaking when he said, "Don't look, he hasn't got his face."

Jongin's knees buckled and he broke free of Baekhyun's grasp to fall forward. If they had left just a day or two earlier maybe they would have been able to save him. Or perhaps it would have been too late anyway. Luhan hadn't made it too far in the time he had been gone. And all Jongin could do was hope he had died quickly.

Icy tendrils snaked their way into Jongin's veins, stealing all his warmth. How could this beautiful planet be so harsh? How could it steal the life from someone who was so bright and had such a promising future? He shrugged off Baekhyun's attempt to help him stand and beat his fist against the ground. It was so unfair. Everything was so unfair.

When he looked up, Baekhyun wasn't crying. His face was just blank like he was in shock. He knew he was the type to bottle things up, but right now Jongin would give anything to see some kind of reaction from him. He didn't need Baekhyun to be strong for him, he needed him to be human with him. To cry, to be angry, to be something other than what he was doing now. But, that wasn't how Baekhyun was, and Jongin knew it.

"Wait here," Baekhyun said, gently helping Jongin up and to a tree.

Then, he set to work, moving the body to the base of a tree and covering it with leaves and dirt. He was silent and careful and of course, still blank faced. Jongin wondered what was going through his mind, but Baekhyun would tell him when he was ready. When he finished, he rubbed his gloved hands on his spacesuit as he walked over and took Jongin's hand in his.

They stood at the foot of the mound and Baekhyun began speaking, "Luhan, you were always a joy to be around and a force to be reckoned with. Rest easy now, mate. We will carry on in your image."

They stood there silently for a few moments. Jongin knelt down and placed a hand on the mound. "We'll get out of here for you, I promise."

Feeling a bit better, or at least able to push aside his grief, Jongin stood up and looked at Baekhyun. They were painfully off course now and had lost quite a bit of time. He lowered his visor and checked the numbers. Radiation was rising. It wasn't high enough to harm them, but he knew it wouldn't take long for it to reach those levels.

Baekhyun grabbed Jongin's hand and gave him a morose look, "We should keep moving."

Only the sound of their feet crunching the undergrowth reached Jongin's ears. He had raised his visor when he realized that their com link was growing staticky. He must have damaged his helmet when he fell and had half a mind to just remove it all together. But he didn't want to because it offered him his vitals as well as protected his head from any injuries.

Part of him was still reeling from seeing Luhan and he was unsure of what to say or how to address Baekhyun after seeing him step up to the plate time and time again whenever Jongin fell apart. He felt like useless dead weight and thought that Baekhyun would have been better off taking the gun and going off on his own. After all, Jongin was injured and impulsive and scared. He had nothing to offer and the longer their silence grew, the worse Jongin felt.

Baekhyun had been the more prepared of the two. He had known exactly what to do when they came across Luhan and had even been the one to suggest how they would get down from the tree. He was much better at thinking on his feet than Jongin and it bothered him more than it should. He admired him for it, but he was also jealous of how put together Baekhyun was right now. Especially because he felt like he was going to shatter into a million pieces at any moment. It was a while before he finally bit the bullet and decided to ask how Baekhyun was doing.

"Are you okay?"

The brunette gave him owl eyes and blinked as they stepped over a long pale blue glowing vine. It was pulsing sluggishly and when Jongin followed it to its origin, he noticed that the usual green color of the trees was now growing blue. He wondered why this was the case and bent to touch the vine. It didn't react to his touch. Odd.

Baekhyun had to clear his throat three times before his voice was above a whisper. "Yeah, I'm fine." He stared at Jongin and nudged him until he stood back up.

"You sure?" Jongin asked and Baekhyun simply nodded as he pulled the rucksack around his body and pulled out the the container of water. He took a quick sip and passed it to Jongin.

Jongin swallowed a tiny bit of water and wiped his mouth. He wanted to press further but Baekhyun seemed to not want to talk about it, so he left it at that.

They walked in silence for a little while longer before Baekhyun spoke, "Did you... did you like Kyungsoo?" There was an unsaid question of where Baekhyun stood in the grand scheme of things that hung in the air after that, but Baekhyun did not say anything more as he waited for Jongin to respond.

Jongin sighed and bit his lip. If he told Baekhyun that he did in fact like Kyungsoo then he may as well tell him about the kisses that they shared, especially the one when Kyungsoo had been drunk. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to open that ca of words. He had made his choice to be with Baekhyun and that was all that mattered. So he decided against it. It could be a conversation for another time, in a different place when they didn't need to rely on each other for survival.

"I admired him greatly." he said, finally and grabbed Baekhyun's hand. It was the truth, but not the whole truth.

"Oh," was all Baekhyun said.

More silence followed and they were both lost in their heads as they trekked on. It had to be nearing the end of the day for Wanderer One as the lights in the canopy were dwindling and the pulsing glow of the forest slowed long ago.

Life on this planet really worked on a schedule and it was comforting in a way. But all it did was tell both of them how behind they were in getting to the cave. They had left a day's buffer in case something like this happened, but now Jongin was worried that it might not be enough time.

He stumbled over a concealed rock and braced himself on the trunk of one of the trees, snapping bits of the bark off by accident. It flashed angrily at him and he found himself whispering a soft apology as he brushed himself off. He hadn't meant to harm it. Baekhyun came to his side and frowned as he tugged at Jongin's sling, adjusting it for him.

"I'm so sorry that you're hurt," he whispered and pressed his lips against Jongin's shoulder.

The gesture warmed Jongin and he turned to put his good arm around him. "I'll be fine, all thanks to you." He meant it too. Because without Baekhyun he would have been dead many times over.

He leaned his head down, clinking their helmets together and sighed. He owed Baekhyun his life but more importantly he had given him his heart. It was just unfortunate that it had taken a situation like this for him to open up to him.

They separated after a moment and continued walking until they came upon a strange looking tree. It was unlike any of the other trees in that it glowed a dull red and was larger than most of the others. It had a huge hole near the top and its sluggish primitive heart pumped the life force through every branch in slow beats. They could see red glowing substance travel up the trunk, through the branches and into the leaves like veins and arteries. It was eerie.

From inside the hole, they heard a rustle and remained frozen as a creature crawled out with jerking motions. It had six pale limbs, each dotted with tiny spikes that glowed red. Its body was bulbous and swollen with each segment pulsating. It walked like that of a spider and scurried up the height of the tree to the branches without paying any attention to Jongin or Baekhyun.

"Do you think that thing is harmless?" Baekhyun asked, his hand clamping around Jongin's good arm. Fear was etched onto his face, especially his eyes.

Jongin shook his head, trying to think back to the footage he had seen. He could not remember seeing anything as grotesque as that. He felt like ice had been placed inside his suit and shivered. It was perhaps the ugliest thing he had ever seen and if he judged by the type of bioluminescence, it should be a predator.

He had noticed that creatures with red luminescence were closer to the top of the food chain than those that glowed violet, cyan, or yellow. But he could not be entirely sure since there was so much that they just did not know. In any case, he and Baekhyun needed to find some type of safe ground to rest their heads.


	14. April 28th, 20XX

##  **April 28th, 20XX**

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the observation dome. The coffee table and desks had been pushed to one corner to make room for everyone to stand in the center facing Kyungsoo, who was for the second time, holding a bottle of expensive champagne was positioned at the front. Jongin had learned that both bottles were from Kyungsoo's personal bar and entertained the idea of what else the biologist had back at the station. He probably had a whole suite of alcohol, judging by his expensive taste.

The whole crew was in their final two days of the mission and the room was buzzing with anticipation of Kyungsoo's speech. Most of their equipment was in the process of being packed. Boxes were being made and rolls of tape were lying on all the tables back in the lab. Jongin had been placing a microscope into one of the boxes when Baekhyun came to escort him to the dome, where they now stood side by side, quietly playing with each other's hands.

Jongin gave Baekhyun a grin and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. They had passed the initial shyness of the relationship and last night, Jongin had asked Baekhyun if he wanted to be his boyfriend when they returned to the station. Baekhyun had pushed Jongin and told him that he wanted to be the one to ask him, but Jongin had beaten him to the punch. He laughed and they spent the rest of that night kissing and whispering amongst each other of the future, limbs tangled and pausing every few topics to slip into the heat of the moment. It was amazing.

Over all the last two weeks for them had been about as blissful as the mission had allowed. Jongin worked with Baekhyun glued to his side, teaching him about the wonders of life and Baekhyun even showed him how to do some tech related stuff in the server room. He was so brilliant and capable that it often left Jongin in awe.

They had different strengths, both beyond competent in their fields, but something about Baekhyun just had a way of always leaving Jongin on his toes. He was exciting and new and he knew just how to rile Jongin up.

Over the course of the two weeks, the server room had become their oasis. Whenever Jongin had a break from work or sometimes when he thought he could sneak away, he would meet up with Baekhyun in there to share sweet private moments away from prying eyes, especially Luhan's.

Luhan had become their biggest advocate and on more than one occasion when he caught them in the observation room, intertwined with each other or sometimes just talking, he would wiggle his eyebrows at them and block off the door so they could have those few moments of peace.

Against the backdrop of the glowing sky with millions of creatures ebbing and flowing, Jongin had felt like the last two weeks had been nothing but a dream, but as he held Baekhyun's hand right now, he knew it was all real and that made him happy.

In the front of the room, Kyungsoo began to speak, "We're in the home stretch, everyone. This mission has been more successful than I could have ever hoped. We have made countless discoveries ranging from new species of flora and fauna to uncovering some of Wanderer One's many secrets. We discovered a underground network that the plant-life of this planet uses to communicate as well as the energy consumption chain. Although there is much more to be discovered, know that I am proud of you all."

He paused, hands gripping the bottle tightly, "We've grown together not only as scientists but as a team. And I can only hope that when I propose the next mission to return here, that you all will be present." His eyes lingered on Jongin, who stared back at him with wonderment.

Kyungsoo wanted to return to Wanderer One. That meant that they could focus on aquatic life next, or dive deeper into the forest with the new rovers that the space station had built -- ones that could handle tougher terrain and could even climb the trees here. If that was the case, then Jongin definitely wanted to return. There was so much unfinished business he had here, so much to discover.

Plus, if everyone on the team returned, he could see them all becoming even closer which also excited him. He couldn't wait to see what antics Luhan would get up to or if he would continue his small prank war he had going on with Kyungsoo.

Jongin had learned that they were old friends who had gone to school together and that was why Kyungsoo had put up with so much from the chemist. This mission had been great in more ways than one and while he hadn't gotten too close to the techs this time around as he spent all his time with Baekhyun, he had grown quite fond of them. SO the possibility of coming back with the same team excited him. He would get to do what he loved as well as be around people he enjoyed.

"I bet you all are tired of my speeches, so I'll spare you all today." He popped the cork and bubbles and fizz poured out the bottle, splattering onto the floor. "Let's celebrate!"

A few glasses of champagne later, Jongin was leaning against the counter chatting with Luhan, feeling a bit more than tipsy. He slapped his hand on his shoulder, laughing and pulled him into a hug.

"Man, I love you," he said and he meant it.

Luhan had been there for him on multiple occasions offering his crude but sage advice, even at times when he really did not want it. He thought back to the time when Luhan had caught him in the bathroom after a meal that did not agree with him and told him of a rather gross story when the pipes on the space shuttle malfunctioned and human waste ended up splattering all over the navigation windows. They ended up having to send out one of the crew members to clean everything off and Luhan never let the guy live it down.

Ah, Jongin really liked him. Luhan was an incredible chemist and had discovered that the luciferin had the same chemical makeup as on Earth. When he concluded that hypothesis, he had paraded around the bunker with a sash that said he was the mission's MVP.

It was quite the scene, especially because after a few drinks, he ended up stripping down to nothing but the sash and Kyungsoo had to chase him around while also trying not to touch him. He also discovered that life on Wanderer One was carbon based, which led him to discovering that there were several new carbon isotopes that had been found in abundance here. To say it was impressive would be an understatement and Jongin could not help but admire him.

Luhan smiled, rubbing the back of his neck, "Don't make me gag, mate." His face was flushed red, both from embarrassment and from the alcohol.

Jongin grinned at him and gave Luhan a light punch on the shoulder, "Any more stories you want to tell me?" He knew this would probably be one of the last ones for the mission, so he hoped it was a good one. Luhan always had a way with words.

Luhan burped a little and then sank to his butt on the ground, loosening the top button on his shirt. He patted the ground next to him, looking up at Jongin with a wicked grin. "Listen up, I'm going to tell you how I almost died on the last mission."

The ground was cool enough to feel through Jongin's slacks as he sat down on it. He caught sight of Baekhyun talking to Kyungsoo and smiled, happy that his two favorite people could get along quite well. He had nothing but platonic feelings for Kyungsoo now and that was all thanks to Baekhyun. He really cared for him and couldn't wait to get back to the station to have a bit of leisure time with him.

He returned his attention to Luhan and raised his glass, "Let's cheers first,"

Luhan swung his arm, glass clinking with Jongin's and shouted, "To Wanderer One, for not fucking us in the ass!" Then, he downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. It was quite impressive.

Everyone else in the room raised their glasses and joined in on the cheers, clinking their glasses and finishing their drinks. The alcohol went down smoothly and Jongin sighed as he placed his glass on the ground next to him. Now, he was ready for the story.

Luhan began his tale with a ceremonious belch followed by a giggle. He was past drunk now, but Jongin didn't mind as it only made Luhan even more candid than he already was. "Okay so, this was the mission to Gliese 667 Cc, or as I like to call it, the planet of Night and Day." He grinned wildly, his unfocused eyes burning with the excitement of his memories. "Literally one side was always day and the other side was in perpetual darkness, this meant there was this _tiny_ strip of land that we humans could live on. The rest was hotter than a monkey's ass or cold enough to make your nips cut through your space suit."

Jongin laughed at the imagery, loving the fact that Luhan could paint a picture in his mind so clearly. He hadn't read the case file for this trip, so this was the first time he was hearing about it.

"Anyway," Luhan said with a wave of his hand. "We bunked in the habitable zone in this valley and you know the fling I was telling you about a while ago? Well, we made a bet on our last day that we could survive one night on the dark side."

He started giggling and Jongin had to wait for him to calm down before he continued. "Our dumb asses actually thought we could survive in sub zero conditions all night without any thermal equipment. I mean that dark side of the planet was cold as hell, so I really don't know what we were thinking. I had to have been drunk or something to agree, but we walked out there in the middle of the night, just the two of us, without telling anyone."

In his mind, Jongin could see Luhan and the mysterious fling trekking through frozen precipitation, laughing their heads off as they bantered back and forth. He wondered who the guy was, but decided not to ask so he didn't interrupt him. He played with the tail of his shirt while Luhan continued, a small buzzed smile on his face.

"After a few hours of stupidity, we decided to head back, but you know how I am, mate. I had to do something to show off, so we found this frozen lake and I just had to run across it, ya know? Mind you, we had lost one of our rovers to this lake, but I figured, hey I don't weigh as much as a rover, do I? Don't answer that."

He gave Jongin a wicked grin and then continued, "So I got to the middle, right? And when I looked down, there was this giant fucking eye looking back up at me. It was creepy as fuck, just staring up at me and not blinking. It had this huge pupil and the iris was yellow, kinda? Anyway, at first I didn't realize it was an eye, so I got on my hands and knees and looked closer, and then the mother fucker blinked. _It blinked_."

The rest of the party seemed to sense the change in the mood and the techs that were close enough to Jongin and Luhan both looked at each other for a moment before kneeling down to listen.

Luhan's face was serious now, and he was staring ahead as if he was reliving it. "I have never run so damn fast in my life. I almost made it back to land when I heard it. This-this cracking sound." He swallowed thickly, eyes widening and his voice softening as he continued, "I was maybe ten feet from the bank and the ice was shifting under my feet, I had a choice, try to jump from ice block to ice block or make one big leap. It should've been an easy choice, but you know me. I fucked up and chose the latter like the idiot I am."

He paused and inhaled shakily, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I fell into the water, seeing only _his_ face as I tried to swim, but this water was different, it was thick and cold and I swear no matter how hard I tried to swim, I just kept sinking. I thought I was going to die. Like for real, just kaput, lights out. But, next thing I knew I was being pulled out." He trailed off, voice shrinking to a whisper, "Damn, I should've told him..."

Feelings surged within Jongin at Luhan's last words. What he thought was going to be a lighthearted story had turned out to be rather heavy. They both sat in silence, neither knowing what to say to break it so Jongin pushed himself to his feet and reached down to help Luhan up. He still wasn't sure what to do, but he found himself enveloping Luhan in a hug where they stayed for a few moments, patting each other and rocking. He figured that was what he needed.

When Jongin broke the hug, he clapped Luhan on the shoulder. They shared an unsaid conversation with their eyes and Luhan placed the mask back on his face, hiding his emotions once more and smiled brightly, "I'm gonna tell him when we get back. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak to _Dr. Do_ about letting a certain physicist join our next mission."

In the bathroom, Jongin stared at his reflection after he splashed water on his face. He had had a bit too much to drink and was trying to sober up a bit. The stress of the mission had left him with some dark circles under his eyes. It was nothing a few days of rest and a couple of real meals wouldn't fix though. The roots of his chocolate colored hair were coming in black, indicating that he needed to recolor it and that wasn't going to be difficult. Other than that, he looked normal and dare he say, happy.

They only had two more days until pickup and Jongin knew it would be filled with heartwarming moments with his team and lots of packing. He just liked them so much and was partly sad that once they all returned to the space station that their primary jobs would keep them separated from each other. Maybe he would try to set up a few nights where they went for drinks at the station's bar. He knew Luhan would be a hoot and maybe he would finally get to meet his fling once and for all.

He also knew that once he got back that he would be able to tell his parents about Baekhyun. He had never been so excited about a partner before, but Baekhyun was different. Thoughts of said brunette brought color to Jongin's face and he found himself smiling as he washed his hands.

After sorting through his feelings for Kyungsoo, he realized that his crush was just that -- a crush. He had admired the man for years so it was only natural that when given the chance to work with him those feelings would confuse themselves into something that he thought was more serious. He was actually grateful for their failed kiss, because without it he never would have gotten over Kyungsoo or had given Baekhyun a chance.

It was funny in a way, that it had taken that for Jongin to finally give into his infatuation, but he was glad he did. He and Baekhyun had grown so close to each other in these last two weeks that he honestly felt like he knew him better than he knew himself. They were foils of each other.

Where Jongin wore all his feelings on his sleeve, Baekhyun had been a bit harder to crack other than his obvious desire. He had moments where he would stare at Jongin while they were working and Jongin would catch him with this soft expression on his face and it would make his toes curl. He cared so deeply for him and now that Jongin knew how to read him, it was as easy as reading a book.

As if his thoughts has summoned him, the door opened to reveal Baekhyun stumbling in, face tinted red and a grin plastered on his face. He was quite obviously drunk. "I was hoping to catch you alone," he said, approaching Jongin quickly.

Arms snaked around Jongin's neck and Baekhyun's warmth was welcomed as he pinned Jongin against the sink's counter. Their mouths collided sloppily and fiercely. Baekhyun really knew just how to make Jongin melt. He sighed into Baekhyun's lips and kissed him back sweetly. Yeah, he definitely saw a future with him.

Baekhyun's hips ground against his and a soft moan escaped his lips only encouraging Baekhyun to do more. Jongin felt a hand slide inside his shirt, roaming over his skin and nails dragging down, marking him. They had been getting a bit more rough lately as well as more public with their affections and now was no exception. Jongin shivered and nipped at Baekhyun's lips eliciting a mewl from the smaller man and grinning. "You like it when I do that, huh?"

"Mmm, yes," Baekhyun breathed and moved to kiss Jongin's neck, leaving a trail of heat in his wake. He hooked his fingers into the loops of Jongin's jeans and pulled him against him.

Jongin closed his eyes and let his head loll back as Baekhyun covered his neck in open mouthed kisses. The whole room felt hot and he knew it was only a matter of time before things got even more handsy, but he didn't care. He gently guided Baekhyun's mouth back to his and moaned. He wanted to continue living in this moment forever, lips locked to Baekhyun's, tongues lazily tasting each other and heat between their bodies.

He was about to suggest they take it to their bunk to continue this moment, but as his luck would have it, the door swung open. One of the techs, Yongsik, walked in only to gasp in shock and then run back out, profusely apologizing.

This time, they didn't jump apart, instead, Jongin broke the kiss with a quick peck to Baekhyun's soft lips and held him against him. He could get used to this, he thought. He could really get used to their domesticity. He gazed into soft brown eyes and smiled, "Let me go see how badly we scarred Yongsik."

With a wicked grin on his face, Baekhyun winked. "Okay, I'll be in our bunk waiting to finish this."

They exited the bathroom together, hands intertwined and positively glowing in the light of their new love before going their separate ways. Jongin walked with a little pep in his step, trying to figure out which room Yongsik had run to. He didn’t want him to feel embarrassed. After all he and Baekhyun had been in public, shoving their tongues down each other's throats. But he couldn't help it when Baekhyun just brought out the deviant in him.

Elbowing each door he passed open, Jongin dipped his head into each room trying to find Yongsik. Every room came up empty and he was starting to wonder if Yongsik had even returned to a room. It wasn't until he opened the last room that he realized Kyungsoo had a bunk to himself for the whole mission. It was kind of unfair, but he was the mission coordinator after all.

He found the biologist laying on his bed, hand pressed to the bridge of his nose looking worse for wear. His hair was disheveled and he looked as though he was ten levels past drunk. They had drank quite a bit tonight, cracking open several bottles of wine after the champagne had run dry.

Kyungsoo had been the leader of that, drinking glass after glass and throwing his arm around Luhan's neck. They had sang songs together, using the bottles as makeshift microphones and that was when Jongin discovered that not only Kyungsoo could sing well, but also Luhan, too. Was there anything the duo wasn’t good at?

"Are you okay?" He asked, still standing in the doorway. He wasn't sure if he should enter or not, but he wanted to check on Kyungsoo before returning to his room.

"Peachy," Kyungsoo said, slowly rolling over and eyeing Jongin with a dangerous hunger. He was definitely drunk.

Apprehension bloomed within Jongin and he took a step back, half outside the door. He had a bad feeling something was going to happen and did not want to linger too long. The way Kyungsoo was looking at him should have been his first hint, but Jongin's heel caught the edge of the door and he froze, much too shocked to even more any more as Kyungsoo unbuttoned the top few buttons of his top and stumbled towards him.

His whole body screamed run, but Jongin simply couldn't move and before he knew it, soft, full lips were pressed to his and small hands gripped his shirt pulling him into the room. Jongin almost let himself melt into the kiss but his mind caught up with his body and he shoved Kyungsoo back hard. It seemed that the tables had turned.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jongin hissed, feeling disgusted in himself for not reacting faster and avoiding this altogether. What would he tell Baekhyun?

Kyungsoo wiped his mouth and gave Jongin a confused look. "I thought this was what you wanted?"

Jongin snorted and shook his head. Once upon a time, yes, Jongin wanted nothing more than to kiss the biologist, but things were different now. Now, he only wanted a certain engineer. "Not anymore," was all he said before he started backing away. He paused in the doorway with a steely look on his face. He knew that if Kyungsoo hadn't been this drunk this would have never happened, so he couldn't be entirely angry at him.

"So it's true then, I've been replaced," Kyungsoo said and sat down on the edge of his bed. He gave Jongin a sad smile, "I'm sorry I lost my chance," he stared at his hands, "Baekhyun is a lucky man."

"Actually, I'm the lucky one," Jongin replied and turned. He started to pull the door closed, but he heard a quiet sniffle from Kyungsoo and sighed. "You're not a bad guy Kyungsoo, don't forget that.

With that he left the room and headed back towards the observation dome. He couldn't go back to his dorm with the taste of Kyungsoo still on his lips. That would be wrong. So instead, he grabbed a bottle of wine, loosened his buttons on his shirt and sat down hard next to a passed out Luhan. He needed some time to himself to think.

The two days passed without too much of a hitch. The team packed everything they needed to and moved as much of it as they could to the front of the bunker for easy access. Everyone was anxious to return home and it showed in the way that they chatted aimlessly about things they would do once they got back, the people they would see, and what food they would eat.

Jongin had taken part in some of these conversation, interjecting here and there but his heart wasn't really in it. He just wanted the shuttle to be there already so he could board it. That was his primary focus.

After a few hours of sitting around, Jongin decided to go check on Baekhyun. He tentatively opened the door to the server room and slinked in. Things had been a bit tense between the two after Jongin stood Baekhyun up, but with the advent of them going home, they had _almost_ returned to normal. New relationships were often hard for Jongin because he always came on too strong, but Baekhyun had been a real champ of handling him.

"Any news from command?" Jongin asked, approaching Baekhyun from behind and resting his hands on the back of his chair. He peered at the screen, scanning it for any news and then looked at Baekhyun when he saw nothing.

"Nope, nothing yet. Servers are running fine on our end, too. Must be something going on with the shuttle?" He gave Jongin a wary look, one that said he was worried but trying not to show it.

A spike of discomfort settled in Jongin's stomach. They were supposed to hear from the shuttle an hour ago, but still, there was nothing. It could mean anything or it could mean nothing. Communication had been spotty the last few days anyway.

Perhaps the shuttle crew was so busy preparing for landing that they forgot to reply. Or maybe they received a message from the space station telling them to hold off since the winds did seem a bit stronger than usual today. It probably wasn't anything too serious, but the second Jongin thought that, possibilities of them being left behind started to blossom in his mind.

"Can you contact the station from here?" Jongin knew they couldn't. Baekhyun had explained how their communications worked, but he wanted something to hold on to so he would not dive into full freak out mode.

Sensing that Jongin was about to explode, Baekhyun turned around in his chair and placed a hand on Jongin's shoulder. "We'll be fine, sometimes these things happen."

He pulled Jongin into a hug and squeezed him tightly. Jongin felt his fear compound. Baekhyun was just trying to soothe him, but he had forgotten that Jongin knew how to read him now. That Jongin knew to look into Baekhyun's eyes and see his true emotions. In them, he saw his fear.


	15. Authorization Loaded

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Authorization Loaded

Directory of C:\Users\WandererOne\Documents\VideoLogs

176 file(s) 10.3GB

Select File:

05/01/20XX 10:46 PM LH_Entry_30

 

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[ _Video begins with a fawn haired man sitting in front of the camera, eyes downcast and stubble on his chin. He remains frozen for a few moments before looking up at the camera, white rings reflecting in his eyes from the light._ ]

 

"Luhan here again," he said, raking his fingers through messy hair. He pursed his lips in thought and fell silent for a while. When he spoke again, a fire was in his eyes. "We're gonna make it home, I know it."

 

[ _Video fast forwards through a few minutes as the man falls into silence once more. It stops when the man raises his hand to the lens. The man pulls the camera off its dock and the angle changes._ ]

 

Luhan looked down into the camera, his eyes darting as if he was reading his thoughts on the screen. "The shuttle is just late, is all." His voice dropped to a whisper, "I'll make it back to you. I promise."

 

[ _Video ends here, a frozen image of the man staring into the lens._ ]

 

End of file.

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05/01/20XX 10:59 PM DKS_Entry_30

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[ _The video starts immediately in the middle of a sentence from a man with red hair and small round spectacles around his neck._ ]

 

"...missions have a few blips. I mean, this mission ran pretty smoothly for thirty days, what more can I ask for? A little bit of waiting time is nothing to be worried about." Kyungsoo spoke, staring off to the right of the camera. His face was void of all emotion.

He tapped his chin, "What will I do when I get home?" He paused, eyes darkening a bit, "Probably get started working on the next proposal."

 

[ _Static rolls over the screen and the video stops here._ ]

 

Playback malfunction.

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System restarting...

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176 file(s) 10.3GB

 

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05/01/20XX 10:59 PM DKS_Entry_30

 

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05/01/20XX 11:23 PM KJI_Entry_30

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[ _On the screen is a young man resting his head in his hands. He appears worried and tired._ ]

 

"I'm scared," he said, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat and then spoke louder, "I...I don't know what to do." He lifted his head from his hands, showing the red marks on his chin from resting there for so long.

Jongin chewed his lip, "I don't want to be stuck here."

 

[ _Video stops and the screen goes blank._ ]

 

End of file.

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05/01/20XX 11:48 PM BBH_Entry_30

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[ _The video starts out warbled, image distorted and lines running through the screen. A voice is heard but the pitch changes every other word. The screen goes black, but the audio plays._ ]

 

"I can't get in contact with anyone."

 

[ _A shuddering breath is heard._ ]

 

"The servers here are working and the connection says it's online. I just...I just don't know why they haven't given us some type of notice about the delay."

 

[ _The screen comes to life and a man with brown hair is seen. He is rubbing his temples and his eyes are closed. He stops and looks around the room before leaning in, face taking up the whole screen._ ]

 

"I haven't told anyone this, but," Baekhyun paused, pulling his lip between his teeth and dropping his voice to a barely audible whisper. "There's a storm coming."

 

[ _Video cuts to black._ ]

 

End of file.

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Directory closed.

System shutting down…

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	16. May 17th, 20XX

##  **May 17th, 20XX**

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After a few hours of them wandering through the forest, following the makeshift path from the map, Jongin and Baekhyun stopped, feeling exhausted. Much to Jongin’s disappointment, they had failed to find anywhere deemed safe enough from whatever that creature was and were much too scared to stay on the ground. After all, anything could reach them on the ground. But they were running on how ever long they had slept after they climbed the tree and it wasn't much. They desperately needed to find somewhere to rest.

"Should we just walk through the night? Maybe that thing has returned to that tree?" Baekhyun's voice was raspy with disuse and his eyes were drooping. He stumbled as he walked closer to Jongin and Jongin caught him before he hit the ground.

Contemplating the amount of effort it would take for them to keep walking, Jongin sighed. He wanted a break but they really didn't have the time to spare. Plus, everything on his body ached, his feet, his back, his neck, and especially his shoulder. He adjusted the gun on his back and turned to Baekhyun, whose face was pale white, drained of all color. His hand slowly rose and his eyes were fixed on something behind Jongin.

"B-behind you!"

Pure terror ran down Jongin's spine like a block of ice. His muscles locked up and he wasn't sure if he could even move but the clicking sound behind him sent electric through every nerve in his body. He clamped his good hand around Baekhyun's wrist and yanked him after him, breaking into a full sprint in the opposite direction. The forest was trying to kill them once again.

Leaves whipped his face, cutting his skin because he had forgotten to put his visor back down, but there was no time for that now. He dove around the base of a large glowing tree and pressed himself flat, trying to get the gun off his shoulder so he could aim it. He ripped the sling off, his arm falling out uselessly, it was still not healed but the adrenaline was blocking the pain. It felt numb as he fumbled the gun while Baekhyun stood beside him, pressed just as flat against the tree as him.

He hefted the gun in both hands trying to familiarize himself with it and gave Baekhyun wide eyes. He’d been hoping he wouldn’t have to use the thing, but their lives depended on it and he wanted to be the one to save them this time. He just wished he knew that the creature had been stalking them the whole time. They could have moved faster, or made a detour to leave the forest, but they were shit out of luck. The creature was much larger than them and had the home advantage.

Still, they waited, holding their breaths, backs against the trunk of the tree, watching the dull throb of the green light. For some reason, the forest was not alerting them to danger and Jongin could only assume that this was because the creature was not perceived as a threat to the well-being of the forest. It lived inside of the red tree, so maybe it was a guardian of some sort. There had to be a type of symbiotic relationship between the creature and the forest and that only lowered their odds of survival.

A breeze wound its way through the forest, slapping Jongin with warm air. They were downwind, meaning that their scents were traveling behind them, alerting the creature -- if it had a nose, Jongin wasn't sure because he could hardly look at the thing without feeling sick to his stomach -- of their location. His heart raced, making his fingers throb as he gripped the gun.

The canopy rustled above and Jongin pointed the gun up, his heart thumping loudly in his ears, drowning out whatever words Baekhyun was saying. He searched for the creature, trying to find it before it found them, but it was too late. Suddenly red light was descending _fast_ and Jongin had to react quickly.

He aimed the gun, finger on the trigger and pulled, but nothing happened. The creature was still descending, faster than before and Jongin shook the gun, trying to figure out why it was not working. He gave Baekhyun a bewildered look.

"Why isn't it working?"

He pointed the gun again, pressing down on the trigger harder, but still, nothing happened. It had to be jammed. He knew he should have tested it out before coming out here, but their circumstances had prevented that. The creature was hanging just above them now and suddenly the world went sideways. Jongin was falling to the ground, Baekhyun's weight on top of him. They scrambled to their feet, running backward away from the creature which was taking its time approaching, its six limbs moving in rotation as its hairless pale body glowed even brighter.

Baekhyun yanked the gun from Jongin's hands and flipped off the safety with ease. It seemed that he was going to be the hero once again. He pushed Jongin behind him, taking aim and fired off one shot. It glowed like a laser, bright and red like the creature. However, it missed and the recoil sent Baekhyun stumbling backward, losing his balance.

Jongin knew he was screaming, but he could not hear the sound. Everything was happening so fast. He saw Baekhyun go down, landing flat on his back and the gun bouncing out of his hands. He saw the creature scuttle closer, frothy red drool dripping from its spider-like maw. Its head resembled that of a bulbous baby doll, with large gaping black eyes and hairless mottled skin. It was toying with them, the way it moved just slow enough to make them think they had a chance, but too quickly for Jongin to reach the gun before the creature crossed over it, blocking his access.

He needed to act fast. His mind reeled as he ran to Baekhyun and pulled him to his feet. They both looked back at the creature, trying to figure out how to get the gun back before it reached them. Jongin stepped backwards and his foot rolled over something, nearly twisting his ankle. He looked down and saw a large, heavy, metal pipe. A million questions ran through his mind but he did not have time to think. He grasped it in his hands like a bat and swung at the creature, connecting with one of its mottled legs, knocking it clean off at the junction, spurting a sticky substance all over it and himself.

He looked down at his hand and when he switched his grip on the pipe, the blood from the creature left stringy attachments. The creature screeched and the forest began to flash blindingly fast. It was disorienting, but Jongin swung the pipe again, this time coming in contact with its head. The pipe rebounded off, ringing and the creature hissed, still slowly approaching them. Okay, so the head had some type of armor on it. Noted.

Jongin glanced back to find Baekhyun missing and when he returned his attention to the creature he saw Baekhyun creeping behind it, edging closer to the gun. He almost sighed in relief. They worked so well as a team, Jongin thought. He ran back a bit, teasing the creature and then swung the pipe again, knocking another leg off. It flew, twitching and oozing.

This angered the spider-like animal and it let out a eardrum splitting screech, limping as it continued after Jongin. He jogged back a few paces and his back slammed into the bark of a tree. _Fuck_. Now, he was cornered with nowhere to go and the creature closing in on him. He held the pip in front of him like a barrier and screamed, hoping it would startle it. But, the creature continued to approach, mouth opening wide as if it were smiling. Jongin could smell the stench of its blood as it leaked out of the limbs in thick globs of glowing red until it hit the ground where the light was extinguished.

He glanced to his left and saw a wall of tangled branches. Great. It seemed the forest was blocking them in. He was out of ideas, holding the pipe between him and the creature. In the background he saw Baekhyun pick up the gun and take aim once more. A blinding light flashed before Jongin's eyes as the gun fired. Next to his head the bark exploded, spraying green sap across his face. It stung where it connected with his skin.

Baekhyun took aim again and screamed, "Move!"

Jongin ducked as the shot rang through the air. He felt warm liquid land on his body, tense and frozen in place, and when he peeked up, he saw Baekhyun standing over the creature beating it with the gun over and over again. Sickening crunches and snaps made Jongin's stomach turn, but he couldn't look away. Baekhyun's face was marred by rage and fear as he swung the gun down time and time again.

"Fucking die! You! Piece! Of! Shit!" Each word was punctuated with a slam of the gun. He beat the creature until it stopped moving and its body was mush, only stopping when he locked eyes with Jongin, chest heaving. His hair was plastered to his temples with both sweat and the life force of the creature. He grimaced as he looked down at the mess and shook as much of it off the gun as he could.

Jongin unfurled his limbs and approached him slowly, wiping the sap from the tree off his face. Baekhyun had saved his life again. His boots made a squelching sound as he stepped onto the body of the creature, but he didn't hear it. All he could see and hear were Baekhyun's haggard breaths and his grimy face. He was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

He closed the distance between them, lips meeting only fleetingly before Baekhyun broke the kiss and hugged Jongin. His shoulders were shaking and when Jongin looked down he saw the exasperated tears leaving clean trails in the grime. He shakily handed Jongin the gun, but Jongin ignored it for another kiss.

"Stop, I'm dirty," Baekhyun said and turned away.

But, Jongin didn't care, he placed a finger beneath Baekhyun's chin and brought his mouth back to his, kissing him because he needed it. He needed to feel something other than the fear that was coursing through his body. He needed to feel warm, to feel the pressure of his body against his. He needed something to ground him to make him feel real.

They stood there, clinging to each other in the mess of the creature until their hearts calmed. Only then could Jongin peel himself from Baekhyun and actually take survey of what happened. The creature was dead and the forest had gone silent, lights dimmed until they were almost imperceptible. That was not a good sign. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Something was definitely up.

The aching in Jongin's arm returned as his adrenaline left him. He was so tired all of a sudden. He stumbled over to the pipe with weak legs and held it up. "Someone is still out here." _Kyungsoo is still out here._

Baekhyun approached him silently, taking the pipe from his hands and scrutinizing it. "This....is from the bunker."

"What do you mean," Jongin asked, heart rate climbing once again and his chest constricting. He kept his visor up, not because he wanted to, but because the sap from the tree had corroded the mechanism. He pulled his helmet off and tossed it aside. It was so covered in grime that it only served to block his vision and right now he needed that more than ever.

Baekhyun turned the pipe over in his hands. "This is from the water filtration system. It's supposed to be under the bunker." He handed the pipe back to Jongin, eyes wide.

Jongin's heart palpitated. If the pipe was underground, then that meant it had to be destroyed by now. He wondered what animal could have brought it so far into the forest so quickly and all he could think of was the spider-like creature. What if there were more? He glanced around the dimmed forest, feeling incredibly unsafe. It clearly did not want them here.

Baekhyun's armband beeped and he tapped it with dirty gloves. A hologram of the conditions popped up. Radiation had climbed by two units and they still had nowhere to go. "We've got to find the cave or somewhere closer to hide from the solar storm."

Jongin only nodded, hoping that they could get somewhere safe. He tapped his armband, but it was cracked, so only a glitchy hologram was displayed. They were still in the heart of the forest, probably a few days away from the edge where the probes had found a cave. "We don't have time to rest, do we?"

Baekhyun stared at the numbers and shook his head, "No, let's keep going." He handed Jongin the dirty gun and adjusted the pack on his back.

Jongin remained rooted to his spot, something had dawned on him, “Um, Baekhyun, where do you think Luhan’s gun is?”

The only response he got was a wide eyed expression from Baekhyun. They both glanced around the forest, searching the foliage with panic in their faces. It felt like they were being watched.


	17. May 7th, 20XX

##  **May 7th, 20XX**

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Waking up with bits of wire stuck to his face, Jongin looked around trying to gather his bearings. He had fallen asleep in the server room, which was still set up six days after the scheduled rendezvous. Things could not have been going worse. They still had not heard from command and everyone was on edge. No one was sleeping and to pass the time some of the techs had began unpacking the equipment to get back to work. It was tedious, but it seemed to keep them busy, so Jongin said nothing.

However, Luhan had been the worst of them, alternating between snapping on everyone and holing up in his bunk, only letting Jongin enter after he begged him for hours. He had never seen the chemist look so upset, eyes rimmed red, nose tinged pink and face swollen from crying. Hell, he had never seen Luhan show any emotion other than excitement and the sight of him so broken down had unnerved Jongin. He had thought of Luhan as this impenetrable force, one who could stand up to anyone or anything. But now, he was anything but.

Then, there was the growing worry over supplies. They were cutting back on the portions everyone ate, but even that only projected them having another three weeks of food before they would have to venture outside. The thought frightened Jongin, he had seen what the world was like from the footage from the rovers, and while they had not seen anything too terrifying, nature by definition was harsh by design and Jongin did not want to be on the receiving end of that.

Rising to his feet, Jongin shuffled out of the server room in search of the others only to find Luhan and Kyungsoo in the middle of a heated discussion, spectated by everyone else. He snuck his way in, standing between Baekhyun and the door. Baekhyun brushed his hand and Jongin took it, squeezing it while the scene unfolded before them. He hadn't seen him when he had woken up and now he knew why.

"We can't just sit on our arses and do nothing, Kyungsoo!" Luhan yelled. His arms were gesticulating wildly with each statement. "Let's face it, we're stuck here! And I'm not going to let everyone starve." He held up a finger, “And no, cutting our rations down doesn’t help, it just delays the inevitable.”

Kyungsoo's voice was calm, but his demeanor was rigid. He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. "We have orders to stay inside, Luhan. We have to follow--"

"Fuck protocol! The mission is over, the station has abandoned us and we're fucking stuck! We're gonna die here if we do nothing! Don't you get it?" His face was becoming red in his anger.

A vein throbbed in Kyungsoo's forehead and he spoke in a controlled manner, "We have not been abandoned, Luhan." He approached Luhan very slowly, sizing him up. "And we will follow protocol. The shuttle could be here any second."

Luhan shook his head, scoffing, "You are so up yourself." He stepped back, shaking his head. "I don't care what you say, I'm going out there."

"If you step foot outside the bunker, you're a dead man," Kyungsoo said, staring Luhan down. Then he stepped closer, his face growing soft, "We can't afford to lose you. I can't afford to lose you."

Luhan seemed to consider this for a moment but he shook his head again, "I just can't stay holed up in here doing nothing. I'm going."

Kyungsoo sighed, defeated, and placed a hand on Luhan's shoulder, "Let me at least pack you some supplies."

Everyone erupted into hushed whispers as Kyungsoo’s tense body language indicated that he was still angry that he had not been able to persuade Luhan otherwise. The two left the room and everyone’s eyes met each other with questioning behind them. One by one, the techs filed out of the room, leaving only Baekhyun and Jongin.

"Holy shit," Jongin whispered and Baekhyun repeated the statement.

"Do you think he'll actually go out there?" He asked and nodded to the empty doorway.

"Probably. You know how headstrong he is," Jongin said and then fell silent.

None of them were prepared to go outside the bunk. They hadn't been prepped and all they had were three measly guns to protect them from danger. This really did not bode well at all.

Baekhyun and Jongin shared a look, simultaneously deciding on heading to the lab without any conversation between them. In any other situation, Jongin would have smiled that they had reached that stage of knowing one another, but as things were, he could hardly find it in him to do so. Still, he intertwined his fingers with Baekhyun’s feeling as though they were the only thing keeping him from running as well.

When they reached the lab, it was in various stages of unpacking. He had been asked to join the other techs as they kept themselves busy with work, but Jongin declined. Instead, he spent his time worrying over their slim chances of making it home and taking comfort in Baekhyun’s presence. He knew he was depending on him a lot to be his rock, but he really had no one else to turn to. With Luhan and his mood swings and Kyungsoo being distant as ever, Baekhyun was the only person Jongin could confide in.

He didn't mind that in the slightest. Something about the doom of their situation had brought them closer together. Neither was gone from the other much longer than an hour or two. They slept in Jongin’s bed or the server room, showered together, ate together, and sometimes just sat in silence together as their mortality trickled away before their eyes.

Jongin walked over to the computer and plopped down in the chair, vaguely remembering that Baekhyun had wanted to tell him something earlier. “What was that thing you mentioned in the shower?”

Baekhyun’s face blanched and he cleared his throat, pulling up a chair next to Jongin. He took over the mouse and clicked a few times, bringing up a window with a few graphs on it. Jongin wrinkled his nose, these were not the type of graphs he was used to.

“What am I looking at?”

“There’s a solar storm coming.” Baekhyun’s voice was a whisper and he raised a delicate finger to the screen. “Wanderer One is headed straight towards it. The station has known since four days into the mission.” He turned to Jongin and his face crumpled. “And I knew since the fourth day in the field and told Kyungsoo. He told me to keep it to myself and that we would be long gone by then.”

Every gear in Jongin’s mind slipped into hyperdrive. If the station knew since the fourth day, why not have them re-board the shuttle and wait it out? Or, end the mission early with the promise to return to finish everything at a later date. That would have been better than to leave them stranded. Horror spread through Jongin. He thought back to their first day on the planet. Kyungsoo’s words echoed loudly in his head.

_The importance of the data collected here far exceeds our lives._

Then, the pieces started coming together in his head. The server outage, the way Kyungsoo remained so calm after the first day sans pickup. How hard he tried to convince everyone that things were fine. He glanced to the screen and checked the date. _March 17th, 20XX._ He had known before they even landed.

“We have to tell Kyungsoo we know.” Jongin said, shooting out of his seat. It as impulsive and he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself from punching Kyungsoo out of anger. Kyungsoo had knowingly put everyone’s life in danger. What was he thinking? Was he truly insane? Did he have a death wish and wanted to take everyone down with him? None of it made sense and the more Jongin thought about, the more his blood boiled.

A hand on his arm stilled Jongin, and he looked back at Baekhyun, seeing that it would be of no use. It was written all over his face. Jongin deflated, crashing down onto his chair, head in his hands. How had things gone so wrong?

They were still in the lab when Luhan entered, decked out in his suit, a knapsack, and a gun slung across his back. His helmet was tucked under his arm and he approached Jongin with consternation on his face. But Jongin knew that Luhan was just as scared as everyone else. He could see it in the way his eyes jerked a little too fast around the room, in the way he glanced at them with sadness hinting at the corners of his mouth. Jongin said nothing to indicate that he knew and he knew Luhan appreciated it.

The chemist stood in front of Jongin stone-faced until a small, sad smile cracked the surface. He pulled Jongin in for a hug, helmet clattering to the ground, and holding him tight as he whispered in his ear, “If I don’t make it out of this, please tell him that I loved him.” He gave Jongin one final squeeze, slipping a piece of paper in his hand before moving on to hug Baekhyun.

Jongin stared at the paper in his hand, on it in neat handwriting was _Kim Minseok_ When he looked up, two of the techs had joined Luhan, standing in the doorway with the same tense expressions on their faces.

“You’ve led us well this mission,” Hosung said and Jungmin nodded beside him. “Please let us go with you.” They bowed, the tops of their heads visible and the strands of their hair shaking. They were scared too.

It was in that moment that Luhan’s facade broke and a panicked sob burst out of him. With trembling hands he slid the knapsack off his back and handed it to Hosung. “Thank you for coming with me.” An unsaid: ‘ _I didn’t want to go alone._ ’ hung in the air. He turned back to Jongin and Baekhyun and saluted, “See y’all on the other side.”

With that, he exited the room, Hosung and Jungmin in tow, both looking like they were walking out to their death. When Luhan passed by Kyungsoo, he clapped a hand on his shoulder and pressed his forehead to his and closed his eyes. They shared a quiet conversation before he pulled back, casting one last glance at Jongin before starting down the hall towards the rover room.

Watching Kyungsoo from their spot in the lab, Jongin felt a cold chill settle over his body. Luhan’s goodbye was final. They all knew it. In the shared glances Jongin could feel the mood darken. There were only four of them left.

A few hours later, Jongin was pacing in the rover room, hoping for any sign that Luhan was coming back. Their com link had disconnected once he was out of range and Jongin could only feel the anxiety and fear rolling through him. He was trying to walk it off, keep his body busy so it wouldn’t lock up. It was just that the more he walked, the tenser he felt. He clenched and unclenched his fist as he paced.

The door opened and Kyungsoo stood awkwardly, looking as if the whole world was crashing down on him. His eyes were swollen and his face was red. He must have been crying. He walked over to where Jongin was and stopped, staring at the rovers as he spoke, voice hoarse, “He’s not coming back.”

Jongin swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat. He knew it. He just did not want to believe it. Now all he had left were memories of Luhan’s laugh, the way he wore his hair in a small palm tree when they worked and the way he always seemed to brighten the room anytime he entered it. He had been so full of life and genuine joy for the mission and now he was out there with no training on an alien planet.

“This is your fault,” It was all he could say before he left the room, chest constricting as the tears rolled down his face. Luhan had gone out to die.


	18. May 13th, 20XX

 

##  **May 13th, 20XX**

* * *

 

“Are you sure that this could work?” Jongin bit his lip as they looked at the map from the satellite. He and Baekhyun had stayed up all night trying to think of a plan to survive the solar storm. They only had less than a week to make it to shelter before the storm changed the dynamics of the planet, causing the winds to descend on everything and destroy the bunker.

Baekhyun chewed his lip. "I don't know," he squinted at the map. "We're here...and the cave is there." He pointed to each spot. "If we leave tonight, we can make it with time to spare, but that's only if going through the forest doesn't get us killed."

Knowing what lurked in the forest made Jongin's stomach churn. They would be exposed to all kinds of possible dangers especially since there was so much about the planet's life that they did not know. Jongin stared at the markers on the holographic map. It would take them days to reach the cave by foot. Even then, there was no telling it would be safe for them to enter. It could be home to any type of creature and as much as Jongin wanted to think that some miracle would happen, he had to be realistic.

"Maybe we should talk to Kyungsoo? Bring him with us or something?" Jongin offered. Kyungsoo was more familiar with the way missions worked and Jongin desperately wanted a superior to just tell him what to do. He hated making decisions. Especially ones that may get him killed.

"He's just going to tell us to stay here," Baekhyun responded, pressing on his armband and making the map disappear. "Also, give me your armband, I need to make some changes to it."

Removing the mint green device around his wrist, Jongin frowned. He always wore it, even in the shower, so he felt somewhat naked without it. Not to mention that he had countless photographs from his life on it. He handed it to Baekhyun and his frown deepened. How was Baekhyun being so level-headed right now? Jongin just wanted to break down. He wanted to fall apart and cry and pray that somehow they would be saved, but he knew he couldn't do that in front of Baekhyun. Not because he was embarrassed, but because he didn't want to worry him with his own concerns.

He felt Baekhyun's hand close over his and gave it a squeeze. Sometimes it felt as though Baekhyun could read his mind much like Luhan could. He grimaced, feeling his heart hurt at the thought of Luhan actually being gone. He could hardly admit it to himself that six days ago he stepped out the doors to never return. If only he said something. Something that would have made Luhan stay until he and Baekhyun had finalized their plan. Then maybe they could have left together and he would still be here.

Slamming his fist on the table, tears slid down his cheeks, plopping onto the surface. He wiped the drop away hoping Baekhyun hadn't noticed, but of course he had. He looked at Baekhyun from his peripheral and sucked in a breath through his teeth. He needed to be strong. Another shaky breath and he straightened himself, wiping his tears away and feeling resolute. He and Baekhyun would set out and find Luhan. They'd bring him to safety in the cave and together with Kyungsoo, once they got him on board, they would all make it home.

Steeling himself Jongin turned to Baekhyun, "Let me speak to Kyungsoo, I can convince him." He had to do this. _He had to_.

The walk to Kyungsoo's room was silent as Jongin tried to think of the exact words he needed to say to him. He rehearsed it over and over while Baekhyun followed by his side, equally as quiet. They needed him to come along. Three brilliant minds working together were better than two.

Without knocking, Jongin entered Kyungsoo's room to find him laying on his bed, back to the door. The soft sounds of him crying abruptly stopped and Jongin felt his heart sink to his feet. The man he had admired for all those years was just as human as him. He approached Kyungsoo slowly, hand outstretched until he connected with his warm body. "Kyungsoo?"

He heard a loud sniffle and the biologist rolled over, dragging the back of his hand across his face. "Yeah?"

Jongin swallowed around the lump in his throat. Kyungsoo's face was puffy and bloated as if he'd been crying for hours, maybe days. He may as well have been because after Luhan had left, Jongin realized that he hardly ever saw him. Guilt slammed into him like a freight train. Other than the last tech, who had been drowning himself in liquor to get through the week, Kyungsoo had no one to turn to.

The bed sunk low as Jongin sat down on it, lightly touching Kyungsoo's shoulder. He didn't say anything and he didn't need to because one look into his eyes and Jongin knew that Kyungsoo was not the god he always thought him to be. He was not the bastion of perfection on the pedestal that Jongin had placed him on. He was human and he made mistakes and Jongin felt horrible for being angry with him over the mission. He knew it was Kyungsoo's dream mission and that he would do whatever it took for it to be successful. He couldn't blame him for keeping the storm a secret. After all, if things had gone according to plan, they were supposed to be long gone before it hit.

Baekhyun joined him on the bed at the other side, lifting Kyungsoo's head and placing it in his lap. Jongin gave him a grateful look and they continued to gently soothe him until he fell asleep. They'd tell him about their plan later after Kyungsoo got some rest.

A few hours later, Jongin woke up to find him and Baekhyun alone in Kyungsoo's room. He slid off the bed to his feet, jostling Baekhyun awake as well. All he could think was that Kyungsoo had left like Luhan did and panic rushed over him. He gave Baekhyun an alarmed look and sprinted out the door, clanging each one open as he passed. Kyungsoo had to be somewhere.

He rounded a corner and skidded to a stop when he found Kyungsoo in the storage room staring at the rack of guns. One was missing. Jongin pushed thoughts of Luhan from his mind and grabbed Kyungsoo by the shoulder. The redhead stared at him with a zombified expression. He was just a shell of himself. Hollow and gaunt.

Figuring it was now or never, Jongin took a deep breath, "Baekhyun and I have this plan--" he stopped when he saw Kyungsoo wince at the mention of Baekhyun's name. He wasn't sure if Kyungsoo had moved on, but just now confirmed it.

Kyungsoo waved a hand in the air. "We're not supposed to leave the bunker," was all he said before pulling out of Jongin's grip.

Baekhyun's voice traveled into the room as he entered, "Then what are we supposed to do for food? We hardly have anything left."

Jongin glanced at the shelves. They were dangerously empty. He eyed Kyungsoo as he spoke.

"I know," his voice was soft, "I've fucked up big time, and for that I'm sorry." He shoved past Jongin and left the room, taking all the air with him.

Jongin stared after his disappearing figure chewing his lip. Kyungsoo was behaving nothing like the man he was on the first day. He was a different person altogether. So, just what were they supposed to do?

"Let's give him a day to think it over," Baekhyun said, taking Jongin's hand in his. "If he still refuses, well, we can sneak out."

Jongin didn't want to do that. He wanted Kyungsoo to accompany them voluntarily. But, he knew that they did not have the time to convince him. He glanced at Baekhyun and sighed. The stress was getting to his head and he desperately needed a distraction. He flung his arm around him, pulling him close and reveled in his warmth. It was something to keep his mind from spinning so fast.


	19. May 18th, 20XX

 

##  **May 18th, 20XX**

* * *

"Drink some water," Baekhyun said as he shoved the bottle towards Jongin. Despite the cool temperature of the forest, his hair was drenched in sweat. He had ditched his helmet a while ago and only had the space suit -- which was torn in places and incredibly dirty -- to protect him from the elements.

Jongin grabbed the bottle, taking small sips and then handed it back to Baekhyun. He waited to see him drink and when he didn't he sighed, "You should drink too."

He watched as Baekhyun brought the bottle to his lips and then frowned. It was too brief for him to have gotten much. He wanted to press him to drink more, but Baekhyun had already screwed the top back on and tossed it back in the bag.

Traveling now was difficult, with the light of the forest at its lowest.  Jongin and Baekhyun had to use their flashlights which were dim and only lit up just a few feet ahead of them. The branches of the trees seemed to hang lower, obscuring their vision and causing them to have to duck and pry them apart just to make clearance.

What should have taken them no longer than a day's trip to the edge stretched on much longer. It was as if the forest was trying to keep them from escaping, trying to hold them hostage until whatever it was doing was complete. It unnerved Jongin to the greatest degree, but he pressed on.

It was a few hours later when Baekhyun shoved the water at him again, his face pinched and filled with exhaustion. Jongin shook his head and said, "I'm fine, you should have some," he paused, "Drink my portion, I'll be fine until the next time."

Baekhyun only nodded and tipped the bottle, his throat moving as he took a few gulps and then wiped his forehead. The forest was increasing in temperature. Another ominous sign.

After struggling to heft the vines and branches apart so they could crawl through, Jongin sat down on the ground, heaving. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him and he just wanted to rest for a bit. "I'm so tired, we should take a break."

Baekhyun shook his head, "We have to keep moving, we've already lost so much time just trying to get away from the heart of the forest." Then, his face darkened, "Do you think it makes those things?"

Jongin shuddered. He did not want to think about what the forest was doing. If he did then he would get lost in a downward spiral of more and more horrors. He would imagine things hiding in the shadows, reaching and clawing at him and that would render him even more useless. He needed to be as alert as possible and that meant forcing himself to be in the now and not inside his head. Shoving himself to his feet, he said, "I don't know, but you're right, we should keep going."

They walked, well -- attempted to walk as the vines and branches were growing thicker now -- quietly for a few minutes before one of them spoke again.

"Do you think Luhan fought that thing?"

Baekhyun was silent for a while, holding apart another set of dimly glowing vines for Jongin to duck under.

"Probably."

The sickness that rolled through Jongin at the thought of Luhan fighting that  _thing_ on his own almost knocked him to the ground. They had yet to find the bodies of the techs, so Jongin could only assume that they had gotten separated at some point. He hoped they were both still alive, but now he knew that thought was futile. But, he didn't want to think about Luhan all alone, fending for himself in this godforsaken forest. He had been far too under-prepared, far too impulsive.

Images flashed through his mind and it was overwhelming, filling every corner of his brain with stark images of Luhan running and screaming for his life as he tried to fight the creature off. He could see the creature toying with him, crawling so slowly as it hunted him. Then, he could see it knocking him down, tearing at his space suit to get to his flesh and--

"Snap out of it," Baekhyun said, shaking Jongin by his good arm. "We have to focus if we want to get out."

He was right. Jongin took a steadying breath, "Thank you. It's just... I feel so guilty. I should've said something to make him stay, I should've locked him in his room, I should've--"

"If we could go back in time, we both know there was no stopping him. You know how he is... was."

"He was scared," Jongin whispered.

"We all were scared, he just had the guts to go out first."

Jongin scoffed. No matter how many times he reimagined that day, Baekhyun was correct. If he had begged Luhan to stay, he would've snuck out in the night, leaving a note for an apology. If he had locked him in his room, Luhan would have found a way out. There was one thing the chemist had more than anyone, a strong sense of self and the drive to survive. Still, in the end, it didn't save him. He still ended up dead at the hands of this godforsaken forest.

"I miss him, too," Baekhyun's voice was small, but it tore Jongin from his thoughts.

Jongin nodded and took his hand. In that moment, he decided that they had to do whatever it took to survive so that Luhan did not die in vain. They still had to find Kyungsoo and the other techs, but their survival came first, because if they could do that, then perhaps Kyungsoo could as well. Filled with resolution, Jongin gave Baekhyun's hand a squeeze and nodded his head, "We have to get back home."

Together they continued walking through the night. It was tough work, but they managed as much as they could. They ended up alternating who had to pull the obstacles away and spoke sporadically about their thoughts. But, mostly they were quiet, too wrapped up in their own heads and trying to conserve as much energy as they could.

It had to be nearing day-time for the planet as the lights in the sky could be seen shining through the dense canopy. Jongin was busy with his gaze to the sky when he suddenly felt Baekhyun's hand rip out of his accompanied by a scream. He spun, shining the dim flashlight in a circle until he saw Baekhyun at the bottom of a rather strangely placed hole with bits of foliage around it.

He got to his hands and knees and called out, "Are you injured?"

Baekhyun voice echoed back up at him, "Um, I think my ankle is sprained."

 _Fuck._ Jongin bit his lip, thoughts racing, "Hold on, I'll get you out of there." He sat up and looked around. There was a glowing vine running across the ground. He could use that. He gripped it and tugged, but there was no give. The vine flashed brightly for a second and then returned to the dull glow that had consumed the forest. It still unnerved him how dim the forest was. Shaking his head, he bit his lip in thought. He needed a knife or something to cut it, so he could tie it around a tree and toss the end to Baekhyun.

After deliberating for a few seconds, Baekhyun called up suddenly. "Can you hurry? I think there's something in here with me." Fear laced every word he said.

Jongin sighed and brought the vine to his mouth, teeth tearing into the spongy material and tasting the bitter sap spilling into his mouth. He had to get Baekhyun out. He spat and went back to tearing at the vine until he could wrench it apart with his hands. His left arm was still much weaker than his right so he clamped his teeth back down onto the vine and tore with his good arm. The vine snapped and the dull glow dimmed out of existence.

Rising to his feet he ran over to the trunk and wrapped the vine around, knotting it twice before running it to the hole and tossing it down.

Baekhyun yelped and Jongin peered over the edge with the flashlight. "Grab it, I'll help pull you up."

He felt tension on the vine and wrapped it around his arm as he tugged. It took what felt like forever before Jongin saw the pale gloved hand grasp the edge of the hole. He dropped the vine and ran over to him gripping the back of his spacesuit as he yanked him over the edge. He pulled Baekhyun against him and held onto him, thankful that he was back. He didn't now what he would do if he had to survive this forest alone. They sat, chests heaving and clinging to each other as they caught their breaths.

Jongin broke the silence as he pulled back from their embrace. "Do you think Kyungsoo dug that hole?" It was a long shot, but they were alone on the planet, weren't they?

"I don't think so," Baekhyun sighed. He was prodding his ankle with tender fingers and wincing. "Yeah, this is definitely sprained." He removed the knapsack and dug through it until he found the adhesive and then felt around the ground for something.

Wanting to help, Jongin searched as well and came back with two sturdy pieces of nearly translucent branches. He snapped them over his leg to make them shorter and handed them to the engineer.

"Are these okay?"

Baekhyun smiled and even in the grim desolation of their situation, Jongin's heart stopped. As tired and grimy as they were, Baekhyun's smile was still the most brilliant thing Jongin had ever seen. He knelt down by him and pressed his forehead against his, taking this small moment to take comfort in Baekhyun before leaning back and returning the smile.

Baekhyun's smile brightened and he nodded his head. "They're perfect. Here, hold them while I wrap."

Once Baekhyun was patched up, they returned to the journey, avoiding the low hanging vines and branches. Jongin thought he had been imagining it, but they were definitely lower and thicker than before. The forest really was trying to keep them from escaping. It sucked more time away from them and crawling under the vines wasn't always possible. Sometimes they had to take a detour around a particularly thick collection. But that didn't stop them and they trekked on, growing hungry and parched as the hours ticked by.

Soon, they came to another dead end. There was a never-ending wall of writhing vines, twisting over one another and glowing quite fiercely in comparison to the rest of the dim forest. Jongin placed his hand against it and the vines surrounded it, tugging him in. It took all his strength to free himself, but once he did he glanced to Baekhyun, bewildered. "What should we do?"

Baekhyun looked around, squinting into the darkness and then he grinned. He beckoned Jongin closer and pointed, "See that dip?"

"We can crawl under it," Jongin said finishing Baekhyun's thought.

After escaping the wall of vines, their trip was easier. They had walked through night and day and by the time they reached the point where the glowing trees grew sparse, Jongin was ready to collapse. Everything in the forest had been quiet, there were no animals to be seen and the dim glow of every tree pulsated extremely slowly. It unnerved Jongin, not knowing what was going on or whether they were safe, but part of him, deep inside knew it had to do with the creature they had killed. He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts, lest he ended up stuck in a cycle that would lead him to a panic attack.

Bracing against one of the glowing trees, Jongin slumped to his knees. His legs just couldn't move anymore and he was terribly hungry and dirty and honestly just wanted to be back home where he could rest his head on a soft pillow and sleep for days. He glanced back and saw Baekhyun wasn't doing much better, stumbling over a fallen branch and landing hard on the ground where he laid for a few moments before he even moved, barely lifting his head up and then slumping back down.

Crawling to him, Jongin grabbed him and turned him over. Baekhyun's eyelids were fluttering and he was mumbling something incoherent. He was on the brink of exhaustion and Jongin was only slightly more well off. But, they were so close to the cave. Jongin gently removed the backpack from Baekhyun and dug through it. Their water supplies were low, only enough for one of them to drink, so he unscrewed the lid and lifted Baekhyun so that he could pour the water into his mouth.

As soon as the first drops hit his tongue, Baekhyun's hands came up, grasping the container and he eagerly sucked down every last drop. Jongin watched his Adam's apple bob with thirst. It was his turn to sacrifice for Baekhyun.

Hefting him to his feet, Jongin limped along with Baekhyun past a few more trees. Baekhyun didn't weigh too much, but Jongin's strength was nearly depleted. Only the thought of reaching the cave powered him on now. Just one foot in front of the other. Jongin struggled as he lifted his legs to comply. Baekhyun was a dead weight, but at least now his eyelids were not fluttering and he seemed to be sleeping about as peacefully as anyone could in their situation.

He was so close that he could see the blackness of where the forest ended. Glancing to the sky he saw the sea of creatures begin to grow and it gave him new vigor. He dragged Baekhyun faster, pushing his aching limbs to the limit as he attempted to get them out. Just ten more feet, Jongin thought as he gritted his teeth. They just needed to get out of the forest and then they would be safe.

Jongin's foot snagged and he tumbled forward, half on top of Baekhyun. If he stretched out his hand, his fingers would brush the soil that indicated an expanse of plains leading to the cave. He tapped the ground, digging into it and clouds of glowing sand plumed around them. He was so tired, and every muscle in his body was screaming. He laid there for what seemed like hours and as far as Jongin could tell, it may have been because the sky was growing brighter and brighter as more of the glowing creatures joined the stream in the air, their light cascading all around them.

He looked back at Baekhyun's body, his chest rising and falling and sighed. He couldn't give up now. Not when they were so close, not when he had to survive in Luhan's stead, and especially not when they still needed to look for Kyungsoo. It took nearly all his strength to push himself to his feet. He grabbed Baekhyun by the arms and dragged him out onto the soil and then swayed on his feet. They were out of the forest. Relief washed over him, soothing his aching bones and giving him a new source of strength. He'd done it.

On the ground, Baekhyun stirred and slowly sat up, his face taking on a green hue as though nausea hit him but it as just from the glow of the sky. He turned to Jongin and gaped at him, "How?"

Jongin wanted to kneel down next to him but he knew that if he did, he would not be able to get back up, so he settled with giving Baekhyun a soft smile, "I gave you the last of our water." He swallowed and it was so painful, like someone had shoved steel wool down his throat. "You need to take better care of yourself," he said.

"I should say the same about you," Baekhyun replied, grunting as he rose to his feet. He pulled Jongin's arm around his shoulder and they stood still for a moment, taking in their surroundings.

The forest behind them was almost black, with just the faintest glow about it. It throbbed, slowly, but it was also gaining speed, and dread washed over Jongin. Whatever was going on in the forest was going to kill them.

Above, the sky settled, having reached the peak of its brightness and the stream twinkled and swelled as the creatures moved in their synchronous motions.

Baekhyun pulled up the map and showed it to Jongin. They were less than an hour's walk away from the location of the cave. He heaved a sigh, "We can't stop now." And Jongin agreed.

Walking through the plains was infinitely easier than the last two days in the forest. They had the brightness of the sky creatures to guide them and little to no obstacles, so it was no time before they found themselves nearing a huge gaping maw in the side of a lush, glowing mountain. Various clusters of multicolored vegetation dotted the surface. It looked much more inviting than the forest ever did.

Sharing a glance, Jongin and Baekhyun broke into a run, using the very last of their combined strength to cross over the threshold into the cave. They stood in the entrance, gripping each other close and in Jongin's excitement he planted a firm kiss on Baekhyun's temple. They had made it. Now all they had to do was figure out a way to survive the sun storm.


	20. May 14th, 20XX

 

##  **May 14th, 20XX**

* * *

 

Blaring alarms jolted Jongin awake. He sprang up so fast that his forehead collided with the bottom of the bunk above him, flowering pain across his skull that spread deep and fast. He looked to his side and noticed that Baekhyun was not beside him and started to panic. Where did he go? Had something happened? Was everyone okay? Jongin rolled to his feet and tore out the room, his mind coming up with all the worst possibilities.

The alarms were much louder in the hallways, ringing so it made Jongin's teeth hurt. He covered his ears with his hands but it only helped minutely. There was a way to shut them off if he went to the rover room, so he headed there first. He was so busy trying to maneuver through the maze of the bunker that he slammed into Baekhyun, knocking them both to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Jongin yelled over the alarms.

"Looking for Kyungsoo!" He replied and quickly set off down the hall.

 _Thud-thud._ Jongin's heart stopped and his hands fell to his sides. Kyungsoo could not have left. He was the main one touting that they needed to remain in the bunker. He was the one who started the whole mission. _He could not have left_. Jongin peeled off after Baekhyun, the alarms falling to a much lower precedent on his list of priorities. He needed to find Kyungsoo. He had to be somewhere.

 _Yongsik!_ Jongin thought and then skidded as he turned down a hallway much too fast. Yongsik was the last tech in the bunker, maybe he knew where Kyungsoo was. The lights were flashing in time with the alarm and also in time with Jongin's heart. He burst into the small recreation dome and began looking. He had seen the tech here last night before he went to bed. He had been sitting at the table, rolling an empty bottle of whiskey across it. But now, there was no one. The room was void of life but still looked as though it had been occupied moments before.

The trembling started in his hands and traveled through his veins, reaching every inch of him until he sank to his knees. He and Baekhyun were the only ones left. Everyone was gone. And non one thought to tell them that they were leaving. He just couldn't take it. There was nothing he could have done to stop any of them. Not Luhan, and now, Kyungsoo. Why hadn't he told them he was leaving? Jongin and Baekhyun had pleaded with him all night after telling him their plan and the biologist shut them down time and time again. So, why would he leave like this? Betrayal was only half of what Jongin was feeling, the other half was soul crushing panic over everyone leaving them behind.

It wasn't long before Jongin felt a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. When he looked up to see Baekhyun's face, he also noticed that the alarms had stopped, leaving a dull ring in his ears. "Did you find him?" He knew the answer already, he just wanted to hear it said aloud.

"He's gone," Baekhyun whispered, biting his bottom lip.

"Of course," Jongin muttered. Now he and Baekhyun had to modify their plan. Not only would they be looking for Luhan and his team, but also Kyungsoo and Yongsik.

Jongin stared at the screen. On it was a frozen picture of Kyungsoo staring down at the desk, dark circles bruising just under his eyes. His hair was brassy and dull, completely unlike how Jongin was used to seeing. He wanted to press play so badly but he couldn't bring his finger to click the mouse. It just wouldn't budge.

"Jongin we need to pre--" Baekhyun stopped short and briskly dragged a chair over. "He left this for us didn't he?"

"Yeah," Jongin answered, nodding his head. It was all he could say because his voice just wouldn't work anymore. Not when he knew one sound would send tears rushing to the floodgates that he was barely holding together with scraps of tape. He just felt so broken and when Baekhyun pulled his head against his neck, Jongin leaned into him thankful that he hadn't left him behind as well.

Together they started the video diary and Jongin shot up, back rigid. Kyungsoo's voice filled the room when he began speaking. It was almost as if he was there right now.

"I know you both hate me for this, for leaving you, like some kind of coward after you spent all night trying to convince me to come with you. But, there were many reasons for why I had to do it this way." He paused, his gaze attached to the desk again. "I'll start from the beginning..." he trailed off and then took a deep breath and stared into the lens.

"This trip to PSO J218.5-22 was never supposed to be successful. You see, I proposed it hoping no one would take it up. It was crazy to have a manned mission to a rogue planet. And I was hoping to go alone, to be abandoned here, away from humanity, away from everything." His eyes held so much sadness and pain in them. Jongin almost felt like he was staring into his soul.

"The life of a scientist can be a lonely one. And I am no exception. I put my work before everything and everyone and it wasn't until it was too late that I realized I had ostracized everyone around me. I tried to convince myself that I just didn't like people, that they just didn't get me, that I was happy being alone. I had won all these awards and my name had become synonymous with fame. But..." He shook his head and Jongin saw the sparkle of a tear fly through the air. The light had captured it in such a way that it glittered. It was almost cinematic.

"It's silly, but this was supposed to be my way out. So when news of the solar storm reached me, I pressed on with the mission. I made preparations, I set everything up for you all to leave safely and for me to stay behind." His eyes were spilling with tears that ran down his cheeks. His nose was tinted a soft red and when he sniffled, Jongin realized he was crying too. He hadn't seen the sadness in Kyungsoo. Or if he did, he thought he imagined it, because he was Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo was supposed to be untouchable. But, the last few days showed Jongin that Kyungsoo was just as human as the rest of them and that was why he was crying now. He was crying because he felt Kyungsoo's pain, he had been in his place before.

"Of course, things did not go as planned. I was starting to become... attached to you all. Jongin, you had this spirit that was so infectious and this awe that I remember having on my first mission. You reminded me a bit of myself, when I was younger. Luhan, you were an old friend that I pushed away time and time again, but I knew I could count on you whenever I needed someone to talk to. Baekhyun, admittedly, I was jealous of you, because you had won Jongin's affections, but that aside, you were so brilliant and so talented. Even the techs. I actually bothered to learn your names this time around. You see, I was beginning to consider you as friends and sometimes much more and it frightened me. So I engineered the server outage. I wanted you all to return safely, even if I still planned to stay behind." He wiped his face and sighed.

At that admission, Jongin glanced at Baekhyun and they shared the same expression. Neither of them had suspected that the server outage was premeditated. Jongin wanted to say something, but there wasn't time as Kyungsoo began speaking again.

"But, you fixed it Baekhyun, and the mission continued..." He fell silent for a moment and then looked up, "There was no doubt that you all were a talented group of individuals. We discovered so much here that I almost wanted to return with you all." He was looking down again and his voice had dropped to a whisper. "When Luhan..." he choked on a sob. "When Lu...han..." he slumped onto the desk, whimpering as he cried. Jongin had to look away. It was too much for him to see Kyungsoo so raw. So naked.

To keep his tears at bay, Jongin focused his attention on Baekhyun who was still watching the screen, two small single lines of tears rolling out the sides of his eyes. Jongin couldn't hold back any longer. His throat tightened first, followed by a garbled sound and his eyes smarting. His vision blurred and when the first warm tear touched the cold trails from before, Jongin let out a shaky breath.

On the screen, Kyungsoo cleared his throat. His eyes were swollen and red. "When Luhan left, I made a promise to myself that I would fix things. I will fix things." He inhaled, his shoulders rising as he did so and his face taking on his usual calm expression. "So, please be safe, I left you supplies for a week and a gun. If you have to leave the bunker, just... please be safe."

The video ended and Jongin and Baekhyun glanced at each other momentarily spellbound. There was so much information to unpack that he didn't know where to start. Kyungsoo had engineered the whole mission to fail from the start. He had never intended to return with them and now it seemed he was making sure of it. He had been such a tortured person, so lonely and in the end, he wanted to just disappear from it all. But, Jongin couldn't allow it. He had to go after him, he had to show him that despite all his mistakes, he still had people that cared for him, that looked up to him.

"He can't be too far ahead of us can he?" Jongin asked, feeling determined.

"If we judge by the end of this video, he left a few hours ago. He could be anywhere and we don't even know which direction he took."

Jongin deflated but he nodded. Baekhyun was always the voice of reason. They didn't know which direction Kyungsoo went and judging by the video he probably didn't want to be found.

"Let's follow our plan, we at least know Luhan went into the forest."

"Right," Jongin said. He stood up feeling awashed with new vigor. They were going to rescue the others _and_ get back to the space station.


	21. May 20th, 20XX

##  **May 20th, 20XX**

* * *

 

The second they stepped into the cave, it came to life. Deposits of glowing light, not just creatures, shown brightly, casting a blue-green hue about them. It glittered, much closer to the way the night sky did on Earth. Stalactites were veined with luciferin, twinkling softly. Perhaps the whole cave was alive, much like the trees. Or it could be tiny microscopic creatures that filled the cracks, mimicking the beating of a heart. Something tickled the back of his mind about the formation of stalactites, but he couldn't quite recall.

Exhausted as they were, Jongin and Baekhyun could not help but stare in awe. If Jongin had thought the world outside the cave was beautiful with all its bioluminescence, then he was beyond words now.

Small floating lights floated in the air like jellyfish, pumping their bodies as they moved. It was so alien, yet so breathtaking. Jongin reached to touch one and it bounced off his finger sending a flash to the others and they all began twinkling, shifting colors and patterns. Jongin spun around, sensing a bit of deja vu. It was just like their first night on the planet. The small floating beings were so alien, yet they created such a celestial scene. They floated higher, displaying the massive size of the cave and lighting the hundreds of stalactites.

Suddenly it dawned on him. Jongin grabbed Baekhyun's hands. Where there were stalactites, there was water. Ignoring the burning pain of his muscles, he ran as fast as his body allowed him, pulling a bewildered and tired Baekhyun behind him. Around him, he could feel that the air was heavy with precipitation. They were getting close. Above, the floating lights continued their multicolored twinkling, as if lighting the path to Jongin's desire. He followed them around a bend in the cave and what he saw before him brought him to his knees.

A massive pool of crystalline water sat in front of them. The water was so clear that they could see the creatures living in it from where they were. The small lights rose out of the surface, drops of softly glowing water falling from them as they drifted in the air. These were the creatures that lit the sky outside. The ones from the water joined the others overhead and fell in sync with their twinkling lights.

"Can we drink this?" Baekhyun whispered, thirst plainly painted on his face.

Jongin wasn't sure, but he vaguely remembered Luhan saying something along the lines that if the atmosphere was a similar content to earth's then the water would be as well. In any case, he wanted to be safe, so he turned Baekhyun around and dug through the knapsack for their filters. Baekhyun's knack for survival had saved them thus far and it would only continue to because not only did he have one filter in the pack, but two.

Fixing the filter to the bottles, Jongin dipped them into the water and watched the devices work their magic. First, they lit up: a small yellow light indicating that the water was only somewhat unsafe to drink, and then it hummed softly as it worked, filtering out whatever impurities there were in the water. When it was done, the light changed to green and Jongin handed one to Baekhyun.

Eagerly, they sucked down the contents of the bottles, refilling and then draining them again. They were both so dehydrated from the struggle of making it to the cave that one portion was not enough. Having had his fill, Jongin sat down at the water's edge and dipped his fingers in. The water was a comfortable temperature, not too warm and not too cold. He swirled his fingers, entertaining the idea of jumping in and cleaning himself off. He reeked, but his body was also so tired.

"We have one portion of food left. It's a bit crumbled, but I just found it at the bottom of the bag," Baekhyun said, his voice muffled. He opened the wrapper and sat it on the ground between them.

It was dry as ever, but Jongin was hungry enough to enjoy it. He finished his half just as quickly as Baekhyun did and then leaned back, finally letting sleep enclose him. He was dully aware of Baekhyun curling into him and turned his head to face him, eyes heavy and nearly closed. For a moment he forgot where he was and planted a soft kiss on Baekhyun's forehead as if they were sleeping in a bed back on earth.

When he awoke a few hours later, Jongin noticed that the air was thick with the small jellyfish-like creatures. Several of them were resting on his suit, beautiful and glowing in stark contrast to how stained his suit was. He gently swept them off him and the motion stirred Baekhyun, who had a small crown of them decorating his head. It was like a scene out of a fairy tale. Baekhyun's features were lit up by the soft blue-green glow of the beings, making everything look soft and ethereal. He sat there, staring at him for a while.

A force unknown to them drew them to their feet where they stood facing each other, gazing into each other's eyes. Jongin knew then, that despite their duration of their relationship, there was something between them that ran so deep, spanning across the universe, that brought them together. This connection he felt with Baekhyun was unlike any other he had ever felt.

Clasping his hand in his, Jongin led them to the edge of the water where he began undressing. He stepped out of the suit and let it fall in a heap, half in the water. He watched as Baekhyun did the same and felt the heat climb across his face when they met eyes again.

The water caressed Jongin's skin like a welcomed embrace, purifying him. Energizing him. He waded through it, watching the creatures scatter away from his feet, flashing in alarm. This planet was so beautiful, he thought. When he glanced over to Baekhyun, his breath caught in his chest.

Baekhyun had scrubbed the dirt and grime from his face, exposing clean skin. His hair was wet and light emanated from the drenched strands. He looked angelic. Incredible. _Beautiful_. He continued to approach Jongin, a smile playing at his mouth and when he reached him, he cupped water in his hands and let it spill over the plains of Jongin's chest, leaving radiant trails falling over taut muscles.

Jongin let Baekhyun wash him, shuddering under each brush of those delicate fingers and struggling to keep his eyes from fluttering closed. His breath came out in soft huffs as the touches grew firmer, scrubbing away at his neck, where the worst of the grime had collected. He let Baekhyun tug him down to his knees and tilted his head back while the water engulfed him.

Gentle prods at his scalp made his whole world shake. He opened his eyes to see Baekhyun looking at him in the most amazing way. Lips parted with subtle awe, gaze full of adoration and... love? He lifted a hand to caress Baekhyun's soft skin, to dance his fingers over the curve of his jaw, down the goosebump pimpled skin of his neck and across the cream-with-a-hint-of-strawberry color of his chest as he flushed under Jongin's touch. He was so perfect.

Glimmering water spilling from Jongin's body as he stood, he leaned toward Baekhyun, looking upon him with wonderment, with this blossoming and overwhelming feeling that filled every vein in his body. This feeling that simultaneously gave him butterflies and also made his knees weak. It didn't matter where in the universe he was. It didn't matter that they had been fighting for their lives or that at any moment the whole thing could come to a screeching halt. All that mattered was that Jongin knew he was in love.

Their mouths came together with hesitance. A timid brushing of lips that led to torsos being pressed together and fingers intertwining and lacing through each other. Everything was so gentle, so poignant. This moment where all he could feel was the heat of Baekhyun against him, where he could smell his intoxicating scent, where he could hear the soft sloshing of water as they swayed into their kisses. All he could see was Baekhyun and all that mattered was Baekhyun and for Jongin that was perfection. This moment was perfection.

They separated only to catch their breaths, foreheads pressed together, arms encircling each other. Neither cared that they were naked nor did they care where they were. This cave, this body of water, this juncture in time, was their slice of heaven in this dark hell. Jongin only wanted to show Baekhyun what he meant to him. He was too afraid to use words, lest he stumble and misarrange them. But, actions? Actions he could handle.

Of course, Baekhyun being the mind reader he was, knew just exactly what Jongin was holding within him. So when he brushed his lips over Jongin's and whispered, "I love you, too." Jongin's whole world came alight much brighter than anything he had ever seen.

"You do?" Jongin smiled, unable to keep the emotion from his voice. In any other time, he would have thought it was too soon, but now? Now, he knew that this was real.

Baekhyun nodded and tangled his fingers in Jongin's hair pulling him closer. "I...love...you," he said between kisses.

Soft whispers and hitching breaths peppered the air as they made their way back to the shore, lips glued and limbs tangled. When they fell to the ground it was punctuated by a short series of giggles that dissipated into breathy moans. It was bliss, it was splendor. It was euphoria when their bodies came together and their souls mingled as one.

Jongin was woken up by the sound of sniffing next to his ear. He swatted at it, but when his hand came into contact with something that was very much not Baekhyun, his eyes flew open. The creature that was sniffing him sprang back, flashing wildly and alerting the others that had accompanied it. It was about the size of a medium breed dog but looked more like a fox than a dog. It had a large bushy tail that housed its bioluminescence, small rounded ears like that of a bear, a narrow snout like a fox, and long legs that were hooved like a deer.

Reaching for his suit, Jongin pulled it to cover his chest and stared at the small family of creatures. They were cute, but as with all alien life he wasn't sure if it was harmless or not. He nudged Baekhyun behind him and moved so that he was protecting the sleeping engineer from the creatures.

Another one, this time bigger than the curious one, came forth, its nostrils flaring as it snorted. It touched Jongin with its nose and its whole body lit up a deep purple. The others flashed the same, seemingly communicating. Jongin's heart thumped in his chest but after that, the creatures deemed him uninteresting and continued on their way to the pool of water.

Several of them knelt, lapping the glowing water, while the smaller ones played around the shore, leaping and rolling over one another. It made Jongin miss his dogs and a small smile tugged at his lips. He watched them for a while, entranced and aching.

Finally waking up, Baekhyun rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His hair was pushed up on one side and a few small rocks clung to his cheek. Jongin reached and swept them away with his thumb, lingering for a few seconds after. He felt that if he died here on this planet, then at least he would be with someone he truly loved.

Baekhyun's stomach growled, startling both the creatures at the water and Jongin himself before he laughed nervously, keeping a wary eye on the flashing lights of the animal's tails. Once they calmed, he frowned, "We need to find food."

"Yeah, but," Baekhyun said, standing up and taking his suit to the water's edge where he began scrubbing the worst of the dirt away. "Humans can survive about three weeks without food. It's not ideal, but as long as we have water we should be fine."

Three weeks without food did not sound like a plan and despite how tired Jongin's body was, he wanted to eat something rather than sit around doing nothing. He also felt an obligation to provide something after Baekhyun had been picking up all his slack. He started pulling on his space suit frowning at how it was wet in some places. It would be uncomfortable, but nothing compared to how bad the forest had been.

"I'm gonna look for something to catch some food with," he said after zipping himself in.

"Caveman style?" Baekhyun offered with a sly smile. He seemed to be in good spirits. Sleep certainly did wonders. Sleep and well...

Jongin laughed, "Yeah caveman style." He laughed a bit more and then walked back to where Baekhyun was kneeling and planted a kiss upon his lips. "I love you."

"I know," Baekhyun said and returned the kiss, leaving Jongin smiling like an idiot for a few seconds before he kicked himself into gear and headed towards the cave entrance.

It seemed that the majority of the fox-like creatures lived in the cave, because on his way towards the cave's mouth, Jongin passed by several more groups of the strange creatures. These ones kept to themselves, curled into small circles of glowing fluff. They only lifted their heads to follow Jongin with their large unblinking eyes.

Stepping out into the darkness, Jongin felt a strong sense of foreboding settle over him. He glanced in the direction of the forest and his heart stuttered. The forest was glowing brightly once more, almost as if whatever it was doing earlier had been completed. Jongin shuddered. He and Baekhyun were not going to risk going through the forest on their way back to the base. They'd find some other way even if it took twice as long.

Tapping his armband, Jongin squinted at the glitchy picture it projected. The radiation levels were incredibly high, high enough that he really shouldn't be outside the cave for too much longer. But he needed to find something they could use to make a spear or a net. He sighed and quickly scanned the area surrounding him. Apprehension made him want to return to the cave as quickly as possible. The only tools he could find were a bunch of flat rocks. Perhaps they could use those. He gathered some up and returned to the safety of the cave feeling little more than a failure.

He let the rocks fall from his arms when he returned to Baekhyun and plopped down on the ground next to him, his head in his hands. "I can't do anything right."

"Woah, woah, what makes you say that?" Baekhyun had stopped scrubbing the last bit of his suit and was draping it across a stalagmite. He stood and that was when Jongin noticed he was still naked.

He cast his gaze to the ground and mumbled, "It's just... ever since Luhan left, everything went to shit and I haven't done anything other than moon over you or break down. When that creature attacked, I couldn't even get the gun to work and if I had to pack the supplies we probably would have run out long before we did and, just, I'm not perfect like you or Kyungsoo. I'm not brave like Luhan. I'm just me. Way too caught up in my feelings to even function right now. I'm useless."

A gentle touch on Jongin's face brought his eyes to Baekhyun's. "I'm not perfect. No one is perfect. And you're not useless. You fought off that _thing_ with a pipe and you helped me get out of that hole." He scooted closer, pressing his forehead against Jongin's. "You're not weak. You're human and we have been through a lot. You think I'm not messed up inside over all this? Because I am, I just don't have the strength to even touch on it now. Because I know once I do, all my fears, all my _shit_ I've kept locked inside will come out and what will you think of me then?"

"I'll think you're just as amazing as you are, Baekhyun. Nothing would make me think badly of you." Jongin rubbed his thumb over Baekhyun's cheekbone.

"It's the same for me too. No matter what you do, I'm always left a little breathless. So please, don't call yourself useless, because you're not." Baekhyun smiled.

Jongin knew he would never get over how world-stopping Baekhyun's smile was. It was brighter than all of the glowing lights on this planet combined. He was thankful for him. Baekhyun had talked him down from the diving board of his self-pity pool. He really shined where Jongin had faults and that was something he needed. His stomach growled and he turned towards the water where the glowing plumes of the fox-like creature's tails were wagging furiously as it peered into the crystalline surface.

Its tail wagged even faster, becoming a blur and suddenly it shot under the water only to break the surface carrying a squirming and luminescent organism in its mouth. It dropped it on the ground and the younger ones tore into it, nipping at each other when one got too close to the other and gulping down chunks of glowing flesh.

"We could try to catch one of those and cook it over a fire?" Jongin offered, watching the smaller creatures greedily engorge themselves. He was so hungry.

The same fox-like creature dove back into the water and returned with another one, this time handing it to two of the larger ones before returning to its hunt. The creatures seemed to have some sort of pecking order. After three trips to the water, it finally settled with its own catch and ripped into it, tail wagging furiously and flinging water everywhere.

Baekhyun stood and stretched. "I'll do it since your arm is still injured." He walked over to the edge and waded in, eyes glued to the glowing surface. Once he was waist deep he quickly ducked in. Jongin watched with bated breath until Baekhyun popped through the surface, empty handed.

"Okay, that is much harder than it looks," he laughed.

After a few tries, his hair was plastered to his head and his eyes were squinted into crescents as the water cascaded down his face. Each time he surfaced, he smoothed his hair back and pouted. All the while, Jongin watched amused, for a few minutes.

Starting a fire was relatively easy as Baekhyun had brought a small lighter with him, the only problem was that they did not have any kindling. So after debating with himself, Jongin pushed to his feet and set out back towards the cave entrance. He would gather whatever he could find that he thought would burn. Plus, if he stayed near enough to the edge he wouldn't have to worry about whatever lurked in the trees.

The walk back to the edge of the forest was quiet and tense. Jongin kept the gun in his hands ready to fire in the case that something would attack him. As he neared the first inklings of underbrush, the trees began to flash slightly faster in warning. They were definitely enemies of the forest now. That wasn't a good sign.

Jongin skirted around the edge, gathering small bits of dead branches and whatever else he could find at the outskirts of the glowing forest. He only dared to go in further to grab a particularly large branch and almost ended up leaving it behind as he heard rustling accompany the flashing lights. But, he was able to wrap his fingers around it and pull it behind him as he sprinted back to the cave, heart hammering in his ears.

Once back in the safety of the cave, he slowed his pace to a jog and dumped his findings at the small camp he and Baekhyun had set up. He broke the branch into pieces by the aid of his foot and bending it until it snapped. After that, he set the dry bits of kindling and angled the lighter until the pile caught fire. At least they could finally be warm after so many days of being chilled to the bone by fear.

The flickering light drew the jellyfish-like creatures lower until they clung to Jongin like a smog. He brushed them away, but more took the places of those that he shooed away. Perhaps they had sentience, because they never got near enough to touch the fire. But they did seem to investigate it, one by one from where Jongin stood. He waved his arms about him to get them off him but it was futile. So, in the end, he gave up and let them cling to his suit, hair, and skin. They weighed next to nothing and only tickled when they brushed over the backs of his ears or over his nose.

After a short while, they began ascending into the roof of the cave, flashing softly. Once they met with the rest of the creatures above him, the whole group twinkled in a different pattern as they communicated. There was definitely sentience within them. Jongin stared at them, committing it to memory, because a group of organisms like this would be so incredibly fascinating to learn more about.

Baekhyun finally returned from the water barely holding onto a wriggling creature. He dropped it at Jongin's feet and bent over, resting his hands on his knees and heaving. "That was way too hard, next time you're getting us food."

The next day went much like the previous. Jongin went out in search of supplies to keep the fire going. Baekhyun caught them a few more organisms from the water. And the both of them ate while watching the fox-like creatures live their lives. They only seemed to leave the cave for a few hours at a time and the two of them used that to keep time.

It wasn't until Jongin noticed that a lot more creatures were joining them in the cave that he realized that the solar storm was near. He checked his armband, it flickered and then faded out for a moment before a few disjointed numbers appeared. He sighed and turned towards Baekhyun, who offered his wrist, soundlessly. Radiation levels in the cave were within safe ranges.

"We must be getting close," Jongin gestured to the new species that were taking refuge in the cave.

He noted that most of them were small mammal-like creatures that lived in pairs or packs. Only a few resembled what people on Earth called reptiles and those seemed more at home in the darkest corners of the cave. It made him feel uneasy to have so many creatures in the cave with them, but it also gave him the opportunity to get a pretty good understand of the range of life on this planet.

The main downside of the sudden influx, however, was the smell. It wasn't the worst Jongin had ever smelled in his life, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Still, the animals mostly left them alone other than the curious sniff or nudge from a few and Jongin enjoyed their presence for the most part. He tried to memorize as many of them as he could, but after a while, he gave up and simply enjoyed their time in the cave.

"How long do you think this will last?" Jongin asked, a few hours after Baekhyun had woken up.

They were taking turns keeping the fire going and that left only a few hours for them to talk before the next shift started. It bothered Jongin at first, but he took the time to watch the creatures overhead and to think. He had been doing that a lot lately.

"No more than two days, but who knows what we'll emerge to. The whole planet could be fried when it's all over." Baekhyun replied. He stood and walked over to a corner where no creatures were to relieve himself.

"What do we do once it's over?" The question had been plaguing him since he woke up.

While living in the cave was a nice change from the deadly forest, he really wanted to return home. He missed it so desperately and would give anything for a hot shower and a soft bed to lay in. He wanted to see other humans, to see his family, or hell, even his coworkers from the station. He just wanted things to be normal again. At that thought, he was suddenly reminded of Kyungsoo and he gaped at Baekhyun wide-eyed.

"How will Kyungsoo survive the storm? You don't think he..." he couldn't finish the sentence.

"If he did there's nothing we can do to change it. We can only hope he found somewhere to hide or..." he trailed off, leaving the unsaid hanging in the air between.

 _Or he is already dead_. They were silent after that, neither wanting to speak their thoughts. Jongin didn't sleep during Baekhyun's shift. Instead, he watched the flames dance and when his vision blurred, he watched the glowing lights of the cave melt into each other.

 


	22. May 26th, 20XX

 

##  **May 26th, 20XX**

* * *

 

They stayed inside the cave for as long as they could, not wanting to leave the safety or the abundance of food. Baekhyun had become adept at catching the underwater creatures and after the other migrators left, the fox-like creatures grew bolder. Jongin had woken up several times to one of the younger ones sleeping just outside his reach. Of course, they would never let him touch one of them, but they did come close enough to enjoy the warmth of the fire.

After packing some cooked food and filling their water reserves, they finally agreed to leave. Emerging from the cave was a bit of a shock. Jongin almost did not recognize where he was because of all the wind. The glowing sand was whipped into small cyclones that spun themselves out in a few seconds only to be reformed and spin out of control once more.

Glancing up at the sky, Jongin saw flashes of lightning lighting up the clouds and also the world. Everything was in grayscale, and life aside from what was in the cave was nonexistent. The forest was a husk of itself, many of the trees had died and their withered trunks were bent at all angles. The usual sky creatures were out in abundance though, as they had taken refuge in the cave during the worst of the storm.

Jongin grasped Baekhyun's hand and squinted into the distance. How they were going to make it through the sandstorm, back to the bunker was their next struggle. He lifted his arm to keep the brunt of the grit from his face and trudged along against the wind.

"Should we try the forest again?" Baekhyun shouted over the whistling wind. He spat out sand and then frowned.

Jongin stared at the forest. Maybe if they stuck to the edges they could avoid the center. "What does your armband say the damage is?"

Baekhyun shook his head, "The satellites are fried, the last update I got was days ago before we entered the forest."

Something in Jongin snapped, then. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" Couldn't they catch a break just one time? This whole mission was a mistake and now they were going to have to risk their lives again just to get back to a bunker that may or may not exist anymore. Jongin fell to his knees, beating the ground with his fists as if it would make everything better.

"Hey, stand up," Baekhyun voice was soft even though he was yelling. "Everything will be fine--"

"No, it won't! I should never have gone on this mission. All because I wanted to get away from Chanyeol and my _stupid, stupid_ , crush on Kyungsoo. None of this would be happening if I had just stayed on the station like a good little biologist. I could've churned out a few lame discoveries, made a name for myself in the lab instead of being so _stupid_!" He knew he was being dramatic, but his nerves were just so frayed that keeping himself together was no longer possible. Everything that could have gone wrong on this mission did, and now there was no telling if they could ever get back home. Baekhyun placed a hand on his back and he shook it off. "We're going to die here, and it's all my fault! All of this is my fault!"

"Jongin," Baekhyun started.

"Don't try to tell me it isn't. If I hadn't signed up, then you wouldn't have either and neither of us would be here. We would be safe at the station and the mission would have never happened because no one would have signed up." He was shaking now and his tears left dark glowing spots on the sand.

" _Jongin_ ," there was warning in Baekhyun's voice but Jongin ignored it and kept going.

"I'm just so sick and tired of being scared and hungry and cold and I want to go home!" He slammed his fist down again and then pressed his head on the sand between his hands. Everything was going so wrong. Everything was continuing to go so wrong.

" _Jongin! Listen to me!_ " Baekhyun shouted, but his voice broke at the end.

Jongin looked up and suddenly felt so childish for throwing his temper tantrum because Baekhyun was crying. Tears rolled down his cheeks, leaving shiny trails. He sniffled, dragging the back of his hand across his face.

"I feel the same way, trust me. I knew about the storm, I could have told the captain and had him turn the shuttle around, but I wanted to be apart of the group so bad that I bit my tongue when Kyungsoo told me to. I wanted so bad to get to know you because I saw the way you looked at Kyungsoo and I thought that maybe, you would see that I did the same to you. From the moment I sat next to you in that forum I just wanted to know you. So I was stupid too, but..." The wind whipped his hair around his face. "I'm grateful for this mission because as awful as it is, it brought us together. And you have to admit, this god awful fucking planet is beautiful," he gestured to the sky. "But more importantly," he knelt and cradled Jongin's face in his hands, "I have you."

Despite the grit of the sand, Baekhyun's kiss was the sweetest thing. Jongin melted into it, garnering strength from places he did not know existed. He wrapped himself around Baekhyun, deepening the kiss, tasting him, feeling him and just like that, air flooded into his lungs. His dark and twisted thoughts shied away from the light that Baekhyun brought into his life. They had to be meant for each other, because this felt right, this felt pure. And kissing Baekhyun was as easy as breathing, or blinking an eye. He didn’t have to think, his body acted of its own accord and just like their first night in the cave, Jongin gave himself wholly to Baekhyun and Baekhyun alone.

He pulled away, gazing into the dark brown irises and steeled himself. Somehow, he knew they were going to make it. Whether they had to spend the rest of their years on Wanderer One, or by some miracle, they were rescued, as long as Baekhyun was there to be his rock, Jongin was going to be okay.

The journey back to the bunker was easier than the one to the cave. They decided to go through the forest, but this time leave a wide berth of the center. It was tiring and they constantly looked over their shoulders every few moments. But, Jongin and Baekhyun made it through in record time. Since most of the forest had been destroyed by the solar storm, they did not have to worry about the creature that lived in the hollow tree, nor did they have to worry about the vines trapping them. It was mostly avoiding the husks of the trees and the occasional hole left behind from a weakening root system.

They were quiet mostly, only talking about what they would do when they returned to the bunker. Baekhyun had suggested that they salvage as much as possible and hope for the best and Jongin agreed. They figured they would rest there for a bit before coming up with another game plan ad as they trekked through the skeleton forest, Jongin found himself at peace. He had Baekhyun with him so he wasn't alone. They had packed enough food to last them a while and if need be, they would return to the cave for shelter. If they were to be stuck on this planet for the rest of their lives, well, he knew they'd figure out some way to be okay.

It was when they stepped out of the forest to the clearing where the bunker was that Baekhyun fell to the ground, gasping sobs wracking his body. Where the bunker had been was only remains of metal and piping. Litter was scattered about and bits of paper whipped around. But, more importantly, was what was sitting in front of the bunker.

The shuttle.


	23. Epilogue

 

##  **Epilogue**

**August 12th, 20XX**

* * *

 

"We need to leave now Jongin or we'll be late," Baekhyun said as he popped his head into the bathroom. He was wearing a suit and had his hair coiffed back with styling product. He looked every bit handsome and amazing and if Jongin wasn't so jittery about the event later on, he would have pulled him aside and kissed him senseless.

It had been about a month since they returned and Jongin and Baekhyun had requested one of the larger suites to accommodate both of their belongings. Perhaps they were moving fast, but after all they had been through, Jongin could not imagine spending his life with anyone else. Any other person would never be able to understand him like Baekhyun did.

He sighed and straightened his tie once more before going over the words he had prepped. Jongin had been practicing his eulogy in the mirror, hoping to make sure that it was sincere as well as conveyed the struggles everyone experienced. He had written it over and over, scrapping whole paragraphs and sometimes even the whole thing just to get the wording right. He had recited the whole thing to Baekhyun every night before bed for the past week and now it was the big day.

Baekhyun appeared behind him and pressed his lips to his neck, "Come on, you'll do fine."

Jongin nodded and turned to face him. "Thank you, I hope so."

He wanted to make sure everything was perfect. That he was able to capture everyone's image perfectly. It was going to be hard, but as Jongin shoved the note cards into his pocket, he told himself that he could do this.

"We are gathered here today in remembrance of the brave members of the crew for the mission to PSO J218.5-22. We lost two senior members and three junior members of our family. Our condolences go out to each of their friends and family and if you are in need of grief counseling, please do not hesitate to get help." Junmyeon closed out his speech by saying a few kind things about each of the holographic images displayed on the podium before stepping aside and giving the stage to Jongin.

He squeezed Baekhyun's hand and together they approached the microphone to give their eulogy. As the only surviving members of the mission, they had been given extended paid time off, mandatory grief counseling and the option to return to earth for early retirement. But none of that mattered, not when the rest of their crew had perished so abruptly on a harsh and alien planet.

It was unfair that they were the only survivors. That they were the lucky ones. And Jongin would do whatever he could to make sure that everyone knew their stories and that they did not die in vain. He needed them to be remembered, to be exalted for their bravery and compassion and not just another statistic for rogue planets. If not for their sacrifices, then surely, Jongin and Baekhyun would not be where they were now. He owed them his life, but all he could do was make sure everyone else knew just what they meant to him and to humanity.

He took out the note cards and began, "The men of the crew were all wonderful and brilliant individuals," he swallowed around the lump in his throat. "To...to go on...to go on..." he trailed off, the words swimming before his eyes. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose willing himself to just get the words out.

"I had prepared a whole speech for you all, one that was supposed to talk up everyone's strengths, but I can't say those words to you. They," he gestured to the holograms, "they were my family and now, they're gone. That _planet_ took them from me. I...I remember waking up early just so that I could meet with Luhan in the observation dome and he would tell me these crazy stories. You know the kind where he just paints these images in your head? And we would sit there for hours before our day began, just talking and drinking coffee. He inhaled the stuff. He was... in many ways like a brother to me. He kept in check whenever I started to stray and had no qualms calling me out for being stupid. He was so brave and so bright. He would light up the room when he entered, demanding all attention on him and we all gave it willingly. He was the life of this mission." His eyes met with Minseok’s and he had to look away before he lost his resolve.

Jongin paused and sniffled, "And the techs, Hosung, Jungmin, and Yongsik were more than just techs. They really held us all together and at the end of the day you all know just how much of a clown Jungmin is...was. He would keep up with Luhan's antics and whenever Luhan pushed too many of Kyungsoo's buttons, Hosung was the one to calm everyone down. And Yongsik. Yongsik was quiet, but man did he pack a mean punch. There was this one time when Luhan made a bet over who would be able to knock him out and after Jungmin and Hosung tried, only Yongsik was able to rock him."

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, "Last but not least, Dr. Do Kyungsoo. Where do I start? He was a man of many accolades, such a bright mind in biology has never been seen before. But you all know that. What you don't know was the way he could out-sing anyone. The man had a velvet voice that he somehow kept locked away in such a small frame. He would sing when he thought no one was listening, but there were several times where the whole crew would camp outside his door and just listen for hours. He was so talented, so smart. But aside from all of that, he was...a great leader. He took the brunt of the mission on his shoulders until the very last minute and then he kept going. He kept us calm and collected and tried his best to stick to the rules of the mission and...he did his best."

The tears constricted Jongin's breathing to the point where he was gasping now. "He was human, just like all of us are, and he taught me so much. I can only aspire to be half the man he was. Thank you," Jongin bowed and let Baekhyun lead him down the stage as he wiped away his tears.

The crowd had broken up and everyone was taking their time going to pay their respects while Jongin gulped down the water Baekhyun had handed him. He hadn't meant to go off script, but standing up there with all those faces looking at him, he just had to say something that would make them understand. While the mission had taken such brilliant people from the world, but the experience would forever stay with Jongin.

Suddenly, Baekhyun's grip on his hand tightened and Jongin looked up to see Chanyeol approach them. He looked remorseful and his eyes were swollen and puffy, "Can we talk--"

Just then, someone burst into the atrium, hair in a flurry and out of breath. "Come quick! They found him!"

' _Found who?'_ was the whisper that left everyone's lips. But one glance between Jongin and Baekhyun, they knew. Kyungsoo's body had never been found, and even when the shuttle stayed on the planet to survey the lands, all they found were the remains of everyone else. Baekhyun and Jongin took off running, shoving people aside and dress shoes clacking loudly on the tile floor.

It had to be Kyungsoo that they found, it just had to be.

When they entered the elevator, Jongin tapped his foot impatiently as the doors took their sweet time closing. He looked at Baekhyun, his anticipation building as the floor level dinged. They said nothing to each other but the rasp of their breaths could be heard. If Kyungsoo had survived then that would change things. Jongin half pried the doors open when they reached their destination and sprinted down the hallway with Baekhyun on his heels.

Slamming the doors open to the in-patient room, Jongin half slid to the information desk. "Where is he?"

The clerk sputtered for a few seconds and Jongin repeated himself, louder this time, " _Where is he?_ "

"Room forty-two but--"

That was all they needed before they took off again, narrowly avoiding collisions with other people and jumping over the confused individuals that fell. Jongin didn't have time to apologize. He wanted to make sure with his own eyes that it was indeed Kyungsoo.

...39

...40

...41

...42

Baekhyun ripped the curtain back and together they entered the room. On the bed was a battered Kyungsoo. His hair was matted with blood in a few places and his eyes were black and blue. He had scratches covering his face as well, but other than that he was in one piece. Jongin and Baekhyun shared another look, one that spoke a million words between them.

"He's alive," Jongin whispered.

"I wonder how he even survived," Baekhyun said.

They leaned over his sleeping figure and then Jongin's eyes flicked up to the monitor. Kyungsoo's vitals were not quite where they needed to be, so it seemed that he was put in stasis while he healed. It could take days before he woke up. Jongin sighed and looked around the room while Baekhyun sat down in the chair. It was then that Jongin noticed a small memory card on the desk.

 

* * *

 

Directory of C:\Users\WandererOne\Documents\VideoLogs

177 file(s) 10.4GB

Select File:

05/30/20XX 1:43 AM DKS_Entry_45

Loading...

 

[  _Video starts with static rolling over the screen for a few seconds before it clears. A man is seen in a close-up shot. His face is covered in dirt and scratches. His right eye is swollen shut and his lip is bleeding. ]_

 

"I was too late for Luhan and the others..." His tongue darted out and his nose crinkled when he tasted the blood. "But I did what I could to make sure you both got out." His eyes left the screen, focusing on something to the right. "Have a safe trip back home." He smiled.

 

[  _The video ends here, frozen on his lopsided smile._ ]

 

End of file.

End of directory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHH! Okay you guys I have been waiting a lifetime to claim this fic! This fic is my favorite thing I have EVER written. It was so fun and took so much research and time and it is the fic that made me ship kaibaek. So all of you who have been reading all my kaibaek have this fic to thank because without it, the kaibaek I have written would never exist. Anyway, I hope you all liked it as much as I LOVED writing it. Please drop me a comment on what you liked, any questions, anything at all because I could talk about this fic for years.
> 
> P.S. Oh I will be turning this into a novel pretty soon actually too! So I'll update you all on that when I publish it. Um there will be a spin-off/sequel to this as well that details what happened to Kyungsoo as well as a new mission to another planet. And I have a drabble spin-off coming too. It's called Wanderer One: The Deleted Files or something like that. That will consist of all the parts I left out of this fic and some deleted scenes. Think of it as the special features on a blueray disc~ Ahhhh, okay that's all for now folks~ Please don't forget to leave a comment and upvote!
> 
> Until next time~


	24. Deleted Scene 1: July 5th, 20XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of 6 deleted scenes. It takes place a few days after Jongin and Baekhyun make it back to the space station. For reference, they were rescued on May 30th. It took them nearly a month to make it back due to how far PSO J318.5-22 had drifted in its trajectory through space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, you don't have to read these if you don't want to. After I finish posting all of these, I will start on the transitional fic that takes place between W1 and the sequel which I will reveal is going to be named after the planet Luyten b. Anyway, these were scenes I had initially planned for this fic but pulled them from the outline as I was writing because I felt they would change the nature of the fic or were more along the lines of filler. Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoy them! 
> 
> Happy reading~

# July 5th, 20XX

* * *

 

Directory of C:\Users\WandererOne\Documents\VideoLogs

44 file(s) 1.3Gb

Select File:

04/11/20XX 9:47 AM LH_Entry_15

Loading...

 

[ _Screen flickers a bit before the static clears. On the screen, there is a fawn haired man with bright eyes. The room is dark and empty._ ]

“Ah, me again.” Luhan sighed as he rested his elbows on the desk. His eyes were up towards the right as if he was thinking back on a fond memory. “Do you ever think about how wonderful life is? How–”

[ _Shuffling is heard in the background and a second young man enters the room, eyes glued to the floor._ ]

Luhan turned around in his chair; the apple of his cheeks rising as he grinned.

“I– oh! Sorry Luhan, I-I didn’t realize you were in here,” Jongin said and started backing out the door.

“Nah, it’s fine mate. Come, cop a squat and be my guest of the hour!” Luhan said, beckoning Jongin over. He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled at the camera.

[ _The screen pauses._ ]

Playback paused.

Resume? Y/N

...

Directory closed.

Jongin sat back and watched as Minseok fumbled with the keys at the terminal. His hands were shaking and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t press the right key. Pain stole Jongin’s breath away as he reached forward to press the ESC key. He glanced to the door, heart hammering as he wondered what was taking Baekhyun so long and then back to his hand.

He was vaguely aware of how bony his wrist looked right now. Malnutrition really did a number on him, but the doctors had told him that he’d return to normal soon enough. But what was normal? Was it something he could achieve? He glanced back to the door, feeling his neck tense and then to Minseok again, who was on the verge of tears.

Minseok let out a weak, shaky breath and turned to Jongin with a wobbling smile. “Thanks.” He swallowed and his eyes returned to the blank screen of the terminal. “You two were close?”

Jongin nodded almost imperceptibly. “Yeah, he was like a brother to me,” his voice was hollow, feeling like his throat had been scrubbed raw with a brillo pad. The room seemed marginally smaller than it had a few minutes ago.

“I see,” Minseok said, hardly above a whisper. He continued to stare at his reflection in the blank terminal screen. His back was rigid and he barely took a deep enough breath to move his chest. He didn’t move for a long time. Just kept his mouth slightly open, inhaling shallowly.

Seeing him like this was hard. Jongin wasn’t exactly the closest to Minseok, but seeing him walk the hallways, eyes like broken windows to the shattered heart of his soul. Jongin had to do something. He had to share Luhan’s last memories with him. Maybe it would help Jongin come back to reality. Maybe it would make him accept that Luhan was gone. Because Jongin had seen his body, but he still didn’t believe. It was just too hard to believe. But not as hard as the status of another missing member of the crew.

Jongin reached out and hovered his hand over Minseok’s shoulder, wondering if he should comfort him. He was broken and what would two broken people fix? His mind traveled to Baekhyun and the back of his shoulders grew tighter. Where was he?

Just then, Minseok blinked and he looked at Jongin with red-rimmed eyes and a pink nose. “Thank you for this, Jongin. It helps a lot. I’m–” He hiccuped and crumpled into Jongin’s side. “I just miss him.”

Jongin wound his arms around Minseok and let him cry into his chest. He tried to keep himself together so that one of them was strong. But Jongin was already paper thin and brittle. When he heard Minseok sniffle, the dam was shattered and he let out a sob, squeezing Minseok tighter. Fuck being strong. He’d lost a brother and Minseok lost a lover.

It wasn’t long after that Jongin broke the hug, wiping his eyes with the back of his trembling hands. He glanced at the door and inhaled sharply at Baekhyun’s absence. Where was he? He was supposed to show up after he got his all clear. Were they keeping him longer?

Jongin checked his armband, noting that the newer ones didn’t have the greenish glow to the pixels. A small holographic screen popped up and he looked at his last message sent to Baekhyun. It said to meet him here and that was almost an hour ago. An hour of watching Luhan and crying intermittently with Minseok. An hour of ripping open that festering wound of his death. An hour of silently reliving the horrors of that planet. That cursed, cursed planet. Jongin’s heart throbbed in his chest.

“We should head back before the crew makes its rounds,” Jongin whispered, trying to distract his mind. The more he thought about Wanderer One, the stronger the tremors grew.

Minseok nodded and pulled the memory stick from the terminal. He turned it over in his hands, staring at it like it held the most important thing to him. It did. Jongin closed Minseok’s fingers over the tiny piece of technology and nodded. If anyone got to keep Luhan’s memories, it should have been Minseok.

“Keep it. I trust you.”

Minseok stared at his closed fist and brought it to his chest. He looked up at Jongin, tears still spilling over his cheeks. “Thank you,” he said and then quietly slipped out the door.

Jongin remained in the room, looking at all of the terminals as he tried to calm his rapid breathing. They stared back at him with their thin, translucent blank screens. They seemed to move towards him, closing in and Jongin swore he saw Luhan’s laughing face.

Guilt compressed Jongin to the point where he shut his eyes. Would things return to normal? Would he ever be able to forgive himself for what happened? What if he and Baekhyun had left a day earlier? Would they have been able to save him? Would Luhan still be alive?

An icy chill settled over Jongin’s skin, making him shiver. He hugged himself, feeling panic starting to boil under his skin. Where was Baekhyun? Were they keeping him for questioning? They promised that they wouldn't do that. At least not until therapy and sedatives were instituted. Jongin hugged himself tighter, breath growing shallow. He needed to get out of here. He needed to be away from all this. He needed–

“Jongin?” Baekhyun’s voice broke through Jongin’s panic like a hammer through glass.

Jongin spun around, half running, half walking over to the engineer and enveloped him. The relief that washed over him just being close to Baekhyun was enough to make Jongin’s knees go weak. He squeezed him, sucking in his scent and burying his face in his neck. Baekhyun also was too thin, but there was a certain softness that was returning. “I see him everywhere, Baekhyun.”

Long fingers danced over Jongin’s jaw, pulling him to look into dark and open eyes. “It’ll be okay. We’re safe now.”

Jongin shook his head. It wasn’t enough that they were safe. He wasn’t sure if that would ever be enough. But he knew that Baekhyun was trying. He could hear it in his voice and Jongin resigned to letting him think he won. He didn’t know how long Baekhyun’s strength would last, but after what happened when they landed, Jongin was hesitant to see him break down again. “But –”

“I know,” Baekhyun said, tilting his chin upwards and setting his lips in a thin line. He had that familiar set about his face, the one that told Jongin he was holding back so much for Jongin’s sake. But his eyes gave him away...they always did. In them, Jongin saw the pain and uncertainty. In them, Jongin saw himself. Baekhyun slid his hand down Jongin’s chest and laced his fingers through his. “We can’t change the past.”

“I wish we could.”

“Me too,” Baekhyun said. He squeezed Jongin’s hand. “Come, let’s go to bed.”

Jongin nodded and let Baekhyun lead them to their new suite. He wasn’t sure when he had checked out of reality, but the next thing he realized was Baekhyun tucking him into bed, switching on the nightlight, and climbing in next to him, small trembles going through his body. He was barely holding it together now.

“I’m sorry,” Jongin whispered as Baekhyun curled into his side. He was. He wished he had never gone on that mission. So many lives would be saved. So many things would be different.

“Shh, just go to sleep. We have therapy tomorrow.”

Jongin sighed but said nothing. Luhan’s death still haunted him. All of the deaths haunted him.

 

 

 

In the middle of the night, Jongin woke up to Baekhyun whimpering. He shot up, chest heaving and sweat drenching his temples as he looked around in the dim lighting. For half a moment he thought he was back in the bunker and a spike of fear blossomed so rapidly he nearly wet himself. It wasn’t until his eyes adjusted that he realized he was back on the space station and that it was the sound of Baekhyun, trapped in some kind of nightmare, that had roused him from sleep. Jongin shook him awake, concern and relief flooding through him as his sleepy-eyed boyfriend sat up.

“I’m doing it again, aren’t I?” He asked, raking his fingers halfway through his hair and pulling it at the roots.

Jongin gently loosened Baekhyun’s grip and took his hand in his, kissing the backs of his knuckles. They were both complete messes, but at least they had each other. “It’s my turn to comfort you,” he said and pulled Baekhyun into a hug. “Why don’t we stay up for a bit... until the station faces the sun again.”

Baekhyun inhaled deeply and nodded. “We could try turning on the lights. That might help...”

Jongin kissed the crown of Baekhyun’s head and slid out of bed, chewing on the inside of his cheek. His pulse was slowing finally and the shaking as subsiding, but he still felt so fragile. Fragile enough that any sudden movement might cause him to splinter and break into a million pieces. Still, Baekhyun’s fear of the dark was worsening. Not even the nightlight was helping him now. It’d been a small thing when they were on the shuttle back. So small that Jongin didn’t notice it for a solid week, but now it was obvious.

However, they’d really only been back on the station for about a week and the necessary paperwork required to start the therapy sessions had gotten held up back on Earth. He wished they would move it along faster and it was obvious that the two of them needed some type of assistance, but even in their day and age, these things moved slow. Although Jongin wasn’t sure if it would help them, all he had right now was hope. Hope that somehow, they could be normal again. If normal was even the goal at this point. Maybe he should settle for near normal, or only slightly broken. Too much had happened. Too much had changed him.

Pausing by the light terminal, Jongin sighed. He passed his fingers through the holographic buttons and then steadied himself against the wall as huge waves of guilt washed over him. Why were _they_ the only ones here? Why didn’t Kyungsoo come back with them?

“Baek?”

Silence.

“Baekhyun?” Jongin asked again. He waited for a beat before turning around and seeing Baekhyun staring off at the window they had covered up. Jongin watched him for a moment before walking over to him. They spent a lot of time staring at nothing and not talking. Sometimes it was easier that way. Sometimes that kept the memories at bay.

“Hey,” Jongin said and let the unspoken question hang in the air. Baekhyun’s hand found his and squeezed. It was his sign that he was okay. But were they ever really okay? Jongin squeezed Baekhyun’s hand in return as he too stared at the sheet hanging over the window. Part of him wondered if they should request a room change.

It was a long while before Baekhyun spoke, but when he did, his voice was quiet. “What do you think happened to Kyungsoo?”

Jongin ran his thumb over the back of Baekhyun’s hand and leaned into him, resting his head against soft hair. “I don’t know, but I hope he’s okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! The next scene is already written and awaiting beta approval. I will attempt to update this once a week since these scenes are short and offer some insight into wtf happened after they were rescued. Granted the sequel will dive into Kyungsoo's side of things, for now, you guys are still in the dark. Thank you all again for your support! You've been nothing short of amazing <3
> 
> Until next time~


	25. Deleted Scene 2: May 30th, 20XX - June 14th, 20XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the second of the 6 deleted scenes. Takes place on the shuttle after they've been rescued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-note: It is incredibly sad, so if angst isn't your thing, please do skip this one and July 1st. Again, these were removed because I thought they'd be too sad for the main fic as they are dealing with ptsd and other things in the aftermath of the mission. Things do get happier for April 23rd though!
> 
> Technically, you don't have to read these if you don't want to. After I finish posting all of these, I will start on the transitional fic that takes place between W1 and the sequel which I will reveal is going to be named after the planet Luyten b. Anyway, these were scenes I had initially planned for this fic but pulled them from the outline as I was writing because I felt they would change the nature of the fic or were more along the lines of filler. Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoy them!
> 
> Happy reading~

# May 30th, 20XX - June 14th, 20XX

* * *

 

Wind whipped Jongin’s hair across his dirtied face. He was exhausted and scared, but when Baekhyun fell to his knees, sobbing, Jongin saw the cause. A shuttle was sitting where the bunker had once been. Scraps of paper and supplies were strewn about, as if more creatures had broken down the structure in their curiosity. But none of that was important. None of that mattered because somehow, against all the odds, they were saved.

Jongin leaned down to grab Baekhyun with his good arm and pull him to his feet. 

“We made it, Baekhyun!” Jongin cried. He was overwhelmed with emotion all of a sudden.

“Yeah, we did.” Baekhyun wiped his eyes, sniffling and wheezing as the tears wouldn’t stop. 

Jongin understood though. Relief that powerful had completely broken Baekhyun down. It had finally exposed those frazzled nerves that he had been struggling to keep under control. It made Baekhyun more human now that he was finally reacting to everything, now that it was all said and done. After all they’d been through, after everything that happened, they were going home. They were finally going home.

_ Home _ .

Baekhyun’s fingers slipped between Jongin’s and squeezed. He didn’t look at him directly as he was hiding his tear-streamed face, but with halting and unsteady steps, they made it to the shuttle. All the while, Jongin’s brain was blank. It was completely empty aside from shock that someone had come for them. Someone had found them. They didn’t have to spend the rest of their days on this god forsaken planet. They were no longer alone.

The door slid open and a single person stepped out. He had his helmet on and held out his hands for Jongin and Baekhyun to grab onto. The moment Jongin’s hand met the stranger’s, everything else happened in flashes. Adrenaline that had been keeping them alive dwindled to a thin stream and stopped. There was nothing he had to fear now. He didn’t have to fight for survival. But that didn’t mean the battle was over...

 

Darkness.

Beeping sounds assaulted Jongin’s ears as he swayed. He was being stripped down naked and placed on a cool table. He had no idea where he was, but it was cold and dark. In the back of his mind he wondered if they had dreamed of the shuttle, but the hands sliding down his legs, pushing him into a 90 degree bow and feeling his spine told him otherwise. 

He tried to look around for Baekhyun, but everything was moving in slow motion. Deep voices filled his head. Voices that sounded concerned and hushed. Jongin blinked and his eyelids felt heavier. He swayed again and cold impersonal arms caught him. Jongin sagged into them, and tried to lift his head. The last thing he saw was Baekhyun looking up at him at the same time. His downturned eyes had bags under them and his face looked gaunt, but there was a burning in them. He opened his mouth and no sound came out.

 

Darkness.

Bright yellow light was being shone in Jongin’s eyes. He tried to cover his face, but his arm felt so heavy. He tried to roll over and discovered that he wasn’t alone on the table. Baekhyun’s thin, curled up form was trembling next to him, bony fingers wrapped around his wrist. Jongin tried to move his thumb to comfort him, but the effort was too much. He was so weak.

 

Darkness.

Jongin opened his eyes and sat up slowly. Beside him, Baekhyun was covered halfway with a sheet, chest rising and falling shallowly as he slept fitfully. Jongin gently shook him awake and the engineer struck out, catching Jongin on the shoulder and digging his nails in. He was wide-eyed and unfocused as he wobbled and blinked. Where were they?

Voices were heard in the distance and Jongin yanked the sheet up around him and Baekhyun, clinging to him. His mind was jumbled and confused. He had no idea what was going on, but his heart was racing as the door slowly slid open to reveal a figure.

The man stepped through, hands raised in surrender and spoke very slowly. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

Jongin tried to speak but his throat was dry and his mouth felt like it was full of sand. He coughed and it rattled in his chest. “Wh-where are we?”

The man stepped forward and Baekhyun’s hand gripped Jongin’s arm in a vice. Jongin glanced at him and then back to the man. He removed his helmet, revealing black hair, cut short on the sides with lines leading from his ears. He had several piercings in each shell of his ears, and dark, dark eyes. 

“You’re aboard my shuttle,” the man said. “My name is Tao. We rescued you from PSO J318.5-22. You were severely malnourished, and delirious. We tried to keep you in the med unit, but that one,” he pointed to Baekhyun. “Wouldn’t leave your side.”

A steely glare was passed between the two as the air fell silent. Jongin felt Baekhyun move to put him behind him and blinked hard. What happened? Where were they? The last thing Jongin was aware of was the whole crew waiting for the relay station to get back to him. What day was it? Where were they? 

Finally, Baekhyun spoke. “I have to protect him.”

Protect him from what? Jongin stared at the back of Baekhyun’s neck. The top of his spine was so apparent. Why were they so thin? What was going on?

Tao sighed. “I already told you, he’s safe. We need to look at his arm before permanent damage is done.” He looked at Jongin. “Do you consent?”

Jongin nodded and when Baekhyun squeezed his arm, he leaned against him and whispered. “Don’t leave me alone.” He didn’t want to be separated from him. They were in a strange place and Jongin wondered why no one else had come to see them. Who was this Tao guy? Why was he on the shuttle? He wasn’t a part of the crew here… Jongin’s eyes widened as it all came back to him in terrifying flashes. 

The shuttled never responded.

The food supplies were low.

Luhan left with two of the techs.

Luhan never came back.

Kyungsoo left with the remaining tech.

Kyungsoo never came back.

The creature. The forest. The cave. The scorching. The darkness. Death. All the death. 

Jongin scrambled to grab onto Baekhyun, to hold him close and keep him from slipping into the abyss that wanted to swallow him. Long, thin fingers closed over his and Baekhyun muttered a low, “See what you did?”

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” Jongin asked suddenly. It was too hot, but also too cold. Jongin’s spine felt like it was on fire and his lungs were collapsing. He tried to breathe, but it wasn’t enough. He was panicking. Where the hell was Kyungsoo?

“Who?” Tao asked, confusion on his face. But Jongin couldn’t really comprehend it.

“Kyungsoo. Dr. Do. The mission leader. Where is he?” Jongin’s voice was rising in octaves as he struggled to breathe.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Baekhyun whispered in Jongin’s ear. He rubbed soothing circles into his back, all while glaring at Tao. “You’re working him up. Drop the topic.”

Jongin was thankful for Baekhyun’s protection, but if he was this bad off, then how was Baekhyun holding it together? He held his breath and tried to slow his heartbeat. He couldn’t rely solely on Baekhyun. Not yet. But he desperately wanted to.

“He didn’t want to come back,” Tao said. He looked annoyed, but Jongin ignored that.

That seemed to grab Baekhyun’s attention because he jerked up. “Wait. What do you mean he didn’t want to come back?”

Jongin looked at him, eyebrows furrowed and then back to Tao. He was hesitant to let relief wash over him, but it was slowly dousing him. “He’s alive?”

Tao pursed his lips. “He requested that we relay his location to the team passing through after us. Said he had some unfinished business.”

_ Unfinished business. Unfinished business. Unfinished business. Unfini–  _

A beat of silence passed as Jongin processed what he heard.

“And you let him?!” Jongin screamed as he sprang up from the bed to his unsteady feet. Baekhyun’s hands were still on him, holding him still, but Jongin was shaking all over. He felt so weak, but so angry. Why didn’t they force him on the shuttle? Why didn’t they take Kyungsoo back with them? Why couldn’t Kyungsoo leave that fucking planet alone?

Baekhyun’s arms circled Jongin and for some reason that calmed him down. He sunk into Baekhyun’s arms, feeling tears prick the backs of his eyes. None of this made sense. Why would Kyungsoo not board the shuttle if he was alive? Why did he want to stay on that fucking planet? Why didn’t he want to–

Jongin froze as it dawned on him. Kyungsoo was going to go through with his plan. He was going to martyr himself. But why? Why? Why? Why?

“Mr. Kim, we need to examine your arm. Please come with me to the med unit,” Tao said. He was entirely frustrated at this point.

Jongin steadied himself and nodded. All the fight had gone out of him. “Okay.”

Darkness.

  
  
  


Jongin nudged Baekhyun awake for the third time that night. He wasn’t sure what it was he’d eaten, but his stomach was severely upset. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Baekhyun sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Okay, me too.”

They laced their fingers and left the bunk they’d been given. Padding down the single hall in the shuttle, they made their way to the door where the bathroom was and paused. The lights in the shuttle were a dim red and a stark difference from the bright light of their room. Being on a planet of perpetual darkness had made them both rather averse to the dark.

Baekhyun squeezed Jongin’s hand and that gave him the signal to open the door. He reached around, blindly feeling for the light terminal and waved his hand through what he assumed was the holographic buttons. It worked, because bright yellow light flooded the hallway and they both let out the breath they were holding.

The bathroom was cramped and tiny, but Jongin didn’t care. He relieved himself as quietly as possible while Baekhyun leaned against the wall, their hands still linked. As long as they were touching, Jongin felt safe. And if Jongin felt safe, he knew that Baekhyun felt safe too.

When it was Baekhyun’s turn, Jongin felt terror course through him at the absence of Baekhyun’s hand in his. He gasped, but the moment was short lived. Thin, but warm fingers fitted in between his. Fingers that belonged there. Fingers that were his. Jongin exhaled softly and gave Baekhyun a grateful look. He needed him. He needed him so much.

Leaving the bathroom was a larger ordeal than it would have been under any other circumstances. The moment the bathroom light went out, the two of them dashed for the room, careful not to look around at the dim red light. It reminded him too much of the horrors they’d experienced. The horrors they’d left behind.

Crossing into the bright yellow light was like taking a breath of fresh air. The relief that washed over Jongin was mirrored in Baekhyun when he hugged Jongin suddenly. They stayed like that for a few moments until the jitters subsided. Part of Jongin knew it was wrong to cling so hard to Baekhyun like this, but he couldn’t help it. He needed him.

“Let’s go back to bed,” Baekhyun said. He didn’t let go of Jongin’s hand as he slipped under the blankets. All they did was sleep these days.

Jongin nodded and climbed in beside Baekhyun, curling into him and burying his face. He felt safe with Baekhyun. Baekhyun was his home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize for how sad this one is :( but it is for plot and makes a lot of sense for what happens later on in Gliese which is coming very soon!


	26. Deleted Scene 3: July 1st, 20XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the scene where Jongin and Baekhyun finally arrive back at the station. It is the most heart-breaking one I had to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again this one is super sad and angsty. But no worries our lovely kaibaek won't be this way forever!
> 
> Technically, you don't have to read these if you don't want to. After I finish posting all of these, I will start on the transitional fic called Gliese that takes place between W1 and the sequel which I will reveal is going to be named after the planet Luyten b. Anyway, these were scenes I had initially planned for this fic but pulled them from the outline as I was writing because I felt they would change the nature of the fic or were more along the lines of filler. Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoy them!
> 
> Happy reading~

# July 1st, 20XX

* * *

 

“It’s only for a few minutes, Jongin,” Tao explained. “We need to scan you before we can enter the station.”

“But Baekhyun,” Jongin whined and tightened his grip on Baekhyun’s hand. He didn’t want to be away from him. He couldn’t stand it. Baekhyun was all he had on Wanderer One. Baekhyun was all he had period. No one would understand him. No one would be able to understand why he was the way he was now. No one but Baekhyun.

“He’ll be getting one, too,” Tao said. “Just five minutes. Surely you can be apart for five minutes?”

Two more people filed into the room they were in and placed gloved hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders. That moment jump-started a horrific domino effect. Jongin tensed as he felt Baekhyun’s hand begin to slip from his. Strong hands yanked him by the back of his neck and tore them apart.

“Jongin!” Baekhyun screamed, face red and streaming with tears.

Jongin screwed his eyes shut and said silent prayers to calm his heart. He reached for Baekhyun, but the people who had their grip on him were much stronger. He was still too weak from malnutrition.

“Stop! What are you doing to him?” Baekhyun roared, but his voice was fading farther and farther away as Jongin was half-dragged, half-carried into another room. The med unit.

“Calm down, everything will be fine,” Tao said, but Jongin didn’t believe him.

He wanted to say something but his throat was so tight he could barely breathe. His heart was ramming against his ribs violently, threatening to burst out. Dots danced around the edge of Jongin’s vision and he let out a tiny croak as the last of his oxygen was expelled from his lungs. Then, he gasped and everything was happening too fast.

He was pushed down into a chair. Restraints immediately clamped down on his wrists, ankles, torso, and head. He was completely immobile aside from his eyes. His chest heaved as he panted. “What are you doing?”

“Jongin!” It was Baekhyun’s voice. He was closer now. When Jongin glanced over he could just see him being dragged down the hall towards him.

“Baekhyun, please!” Jongin whimpered, but his voice didn’t carry far. He watched as Baekhyun was pulled into the room, nose bloodied and hair a mess. His neck was strained as he screamed again, but it fell on deaf ears.

The last thing Jongin heard was Tao’s voice saying that he was sorry over and over.

Darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand I'm suuuuper sorry for this. The next one is happier I promise!!!


	27. Deleted Scene 4: April 23rd, 20XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the fourth deleted scene! It takes place after the discovery of the apex predator/the kaisoo-kaibaek kiss and before the celebration on the 28th of april. It features Luhan and the gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, you don't have to read these if you don't want to. After I finish posting all of these, I will start on the transitional fic that takes place between W1 and the sequel which I will reveal is going to be named after the planet Luyten b. Anyway, these were scenes I had initially planned for this fic but pulled them from the outline as I was writing because I felt they would change the nature of the fic or were more along the lines of filler. Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoy them!
> 
> Happy reading~

# April 23rd, 20XX

* * *

 

 

The day had been over for hours now, but the lot of them had been hanging out in the lab room, drinking spirits and joking around. A few stories here and there were told and Jongin was enjoying himself quite a bit. This guys were his new family and it had only been a few weeks. He never anticipated getting so close to them, but here he was.

But, of course, the celebration wasn't a celebration until Luhan did something crazy. Springing to his feet and declaring that he was impossible to knock out had started a debate that quickly devolved into the whole group pushing all the tables into a circle.

First up it was Jungmin. He'd punched Luhan and ended up skulking away nursing his knuckles while Luhan jumped around roaring about his prowess. It made Jongin laugh a little. He really loved the guy. He was always the life of the party and things were never dull around him. Not even for a moment.

“Dude, just fucking do it! I’ve got a chin of steel, you’re not gonna hurt me,” Luhan said. He had tossed his lab coat on the table behind him, hair pushed back from his face, and standing in a wobbly fighting stance. He'd had quite a few drinks and it was showing.

Yongsik stood opposite of him, lab coat on the table behind him and thumbed his chin. “You don’t know what you signed up for,” he warned.

Luhan slapped his chest. “Come on! Jungmin’s punch didn’t even hurt. I doubt you’re gonna do much damage.” He circled Yongsik and beckoned him. “Fucking do it! Hit me like a man!”

Yongsik glanced at Jongin in question and Jongin simply shrugged. He had no dog in this race. If Luhan got knocked out well, they’d never let him live it down. Not tomorrow, not when they got back to the station, not ever. Frankly, Jongin kind of wanted to see what would happen, so even when Baekhyun whispered in his ear to stop them, he just smiled at him.

“Luhan, I really don’t want to hurt you,” Yongsik said. He circled Luhan, fists up and a sly smirk on his face. He definitely knew something about fighting.

Jongin stepped back and collided with Baekhyun, who was standing behind him, hands dancing around the small of his back. He liked these small gestures of intimacy. It made his stomach flip and his body flush. He reached behind him, lacing his fingers between Baekhyun’s and moved beside him.

A quick glance at the engineer showed Jongin the faint blush on his cheeks and Jongin mirrored him. Only a few more days of the mission left and things were looking up. Jongin sighed happily, running his thumb over Baekhyun’s and returned his attention to the two in the middle of the circle.

Luhan cocked his head to the side, his smirk growing as he and Yongsik moved around the perimeter. Then he stepped forward, puffed out his chest and jutted his chin out. “Right here, mate. Hit me.”

Jongin and Luhan met eyes for a split second and a smile bloomed across his face. He was drunk and happy and this was probably one of Jongin's favorite versions of Luhan. Granted there wasn't a version that he disliked. The guy was such a hoot and genuinely likeable. He just kind of pulled people to them and changed their lives for the better. Plus he'd served as Jongin's moral conscious and helped him with Baekhyun. So, in reality, Jongin owed Luhan one. What Luhan was going to cash in he didn't know, but knowing him it'd be something worthwhile.

“Alright,” Yongsik said and reared back. He looked like he really didn't want to hit Luhan but with the constant goading he relented.

The punch happened so fast that Jongin almost missed it when he blinked. The next thing he saw was Luhan stumbling back, arms straight out as he fell towards the ground. Luckily, Hosung caught him before his head hit the table and gently lowered Luhan to his back. Silence filled the room. Holy shit – Yongsik knocked him clean out.

Everyone looked around at each other, eyes wide and shocked. Yongsik still had his arm outstretched and slowly lowered it before rushing over to Luhan and shaking him awake. “Boss, boss! I’m so sorry!”

Jongin watched all of this with amusement. No one had suspected Yongsik. No one at all. He had a mean right hook, that was for sure. Beside him, Baekhyun let out a low whistle and Jongin had to fight back his snickers. He was never going to let Luhan live this down ever. Oh man, he was going to milk it for all it was worth.

Gradually, Luhan came to and the first thing he said when he sat up was, “Now _you_ hit like a man!”

Laughter erupted and Jongin stood by Baekhyun’s side while the techs pulled Luhan to his feet. The end of this mission had all kinds of surprises. Luhan getting knocked out, everyone discovering that Kyungsoo had the voice of an angel yesterday. It was never a dull moment.

As Luhan passed by Jongin, he clapped him on the shoulder and grinned as his chin bruised. “Next time, it’s me an’ you.”

Jongin shook his head and laughed. That was never going to happen.

 

A few hours later, Jongin was wandering the hallways. He couldn’t sleep as usual and Baekhyun had gone to bed hours ago. Not wanting to bother him, he opted for climbing out of the bed silently and exploring the familiar halls. An almost nostalgic feeling washed over him as he trailed his hand along the wall. He was going to miss this place. All the discoveries they made and the friends he now considered family was bittersweet. He hoped that they could all keep in contact when they returned.

Still, they were so close to the end of the mission. The notion had Jongin grinning to himself. Not only was he close to going home, but his very first mission had been a success. He couldn’t have asked for things to go better. When he returned to the station, everyone would know him by name. He was hoping to be the next Kyungsoo. Not that he wanted to replace him, but he was hoping people would respect him like they did Kyungsoo.

Since he was thinking about him, Jongin found that his feet had brought him right to the door of the biologist. He paused outside, listening to the velvety smooth voice on the other side. Kyungsoo was singing to himself. Jongin wondered if in another life, Kyungsoo would have been a singer rather than a biologist. It was a strange thought, but it brought a smile to Jongin’s face.

He hesitated by the door, hand raised to knock, but thought better of it. Even though he’d patched things up with Baekhyun and things were going great, he and Kyungsoo never addressed the kiss they shared. Jongin had abided by his wishes and never spoke of it, but now the thought was on the forefront of his mind.

Inside, Kyungsoo’s singing had stopped and the door swished open, revealing him, glasses perched on his nose and a mildly surprised expression. “Oh! Let’s talk out here,” Kyungsoo said as he closed the door before Jongin could get a good look.

Jongin looked over his shoulder to see if anyone else saw him and then leaned against the opposite wall. He wasn’t sure what Kyungsoo wanted, but he looked happy to see him, so it couldn’t have been bad.

“We’ve only got about a week left…” Kyungsoo said. Jongin wasn’t sure if he misread Kyungsoo’s expression because he almost looked sad. But it was gone before Jongin could really digest it and was replaced by a bright grin.

“Yeah,” Jongin replied.

They had discovered so much in the few short weeks they were here and ever since finding the apex predator a few days ago, things had only been going uphill. So Jongin could only hope that things would keep on this upward trend. They’d been sending the rovers out for longer periods and to further areas each day, so even the specimens they’d been finding had been more interesting.

“What will you do when you return?” Kyungsoo asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jongin chewed his lip. He hadn’t put too much thought to it other than hoping to stay in contact with people and making a name for himself. “Well, I guess I’ll start preparing for your next mission?” Jongin said after a moment of thought.

“My next mission?” Kyungsoo balked.

“Yeah, I enjoy working with you and I look forward to doing that more,” Jongin admitted.

“Oh,” Kyungsoo replied, glancing down between their feet. “I’ve enjoyed working with you, too.” He gave Jongin a forced smile and then nodded. “I’m going back to bed, you should try to get some sleep, Jongin.”

Shocked by the sudden change in Kyungsoo’s demeanor, Jongin reached out towards him, but his hands only met the smooth surface of Kyungsoo’s door. He stood there, feeling that cold chill settle over him. It’d been a while since he felt like that.

Back in his room, Jongin found Baekhyun sitting up on the top bunk. His hair was sticking out at odd angles and he was rubbing his eyes and yawning. “Can’t sleep?”

Jongin shook his head in response as he sat down on the edge of his bed. Kyungsoo’s sudden departure had bothered him deeply for some reason. The bed above creaked and Jongin saw Baekhyun’s feet his his mattress before he realized what he was doing. The engineer crawled over to him, and pulled Jongin into his arms.

“Let’s sleep together tonight,” Baekhyun said.

Jongin turned into him, heart racing and heat filling his body. They hadn’t really done anything like this before and suddenly he was feeling so incredibly shy. He nodded into Baekhyun’s chest, a smile threatening to split his face in two. All thoughts of Kyungsoo had been chased away by the warmth of Baekhyun’s body next to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooof! That was much happier! The next scene will also be a bit bittersweet and the final scene is kinda the one everyone is waiting for! It will feature Kyungsoo in the "present".


	28. Deleted Scene 5: July 6th, 20XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the fifth deleted scene. It takes place on the first day of therapy sessions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, you don't have to read these if you don't want to. After I finish posting all of these, I will start on the transitional fic that takes place between W1 and the sequel which I will reveal is going to be named after the planet Luyten b. Anyway, these were scenes I had initially planned for this fic but pulled them from the outline as I was writing because I felt they would change the nature of the fic or were more along the lines of filler. Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoy them!
> 
> Happy reading~

#  July 6th, 20XX

* * *

Therapy was supposed to be good for them, Jongin thought. But all he felt right now was extreme anxiety and worry. He kept staring at the door, waiting for Baekhyun to come out of the room while he bounced his leg up and down and played with the hem of his shirt. 

This day had sucked. First, he’d been told he’d stagnated in his weight gain since leaving Wanderer One, and now this. He’d been promised a group session  _ with _ Baekhyun. It was supposed to be the two of them at the same time, but that wasn’t the case.

He bit his lip as he tried to calm himself in the waiting room. A few workers were pattering around doing their jobs and not paying him any mind. Jongin watched them, feeling his shoulders tense at the base of his neck and the pit of dread fill his stomach with bitter acid. He was going to be sick. He could feel it.

Shooting to hs feet, Jongin ran towards the bathroom at the other end of the room and anxiously slammed the button for the door to open. Once inside he fell to his knees, retching the empty contents of his stomach into the bowl. A cold sweat formed on his skin and he slumped against the wall, breathing hard and feeling weak. No wonder his weight gain stagnated. He could hardly keep anything down.

A knock at the door made Jongin lift his head from the wall and push to his feet. He pressed the button, revealing a man dressed in dark colored scrubs and a mask on his face. “Are you okay?”

Jongin nodded mutely. He wasn’t quite ready to speak to anyone he didn’t need to yet. But the therapist told him it would come with time.

The man held out his hand and gently guided Jongin from the bathroom, back to his seat. “I’ll get you some water and another supplement. Keep this up and we’ll have to hold you overnight in the medical ward.”

Jongin nodded. He was about to respond when Baekhyun came through the other set of doors looking visibly shaken and wide-eyed. The second their eyes met, Baekhyun ran over to him and nearly climbed on the chair with him, trying to hold him close. He didn’t say anything, but Jongin could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest and the gust of his breaths.

“What happened?” Jongin whispered. He wrapped himself around Baekhyun, relishing the feeling of being together again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the therapist standing in the doorway, with a concerned expression on her face.

Baekhyun said nothing, but squeezed Jongin tighter. When the man in the black scrubs returned, he and the therapist spoke quietly before approaching the two of them. Slowly, Baekhyun peeled himself off of Jongin and sat next to him, hands clasping Jongin’s tightly.

“We’re worried about your health, mental and physical,” the therapist said. “From now on, you two will have joint sessions and your living quarters will be in the medical floor. You’ve gone through severe trauma and we need to monitor you both very closely.” She lifted her wrist and her band shined green before a holographic screen popped up. “I’m giving you a prescription for anti-anxiety doses and some blockers. They will help you integrate back into your work as well as let you carefully come to terms with the events of your mission.”

“In addition, you are both relieved of your positions and are paid leave, affective immediately. Take a break from the station, go earth-side and visit family. We at SS SM only want what’s in your best interests and that includes your health,” the man in black scrubs added.

“Yes, thank you, Jongwoo,” the therapist said. “If you decide to stay here, you will be under my and your primary doctor’s care. If you go earth-side, you will still be under my care. I am taking you both on as my patients with the highest priority.”

Jongin nodded. This was a lot to take in. He glanced at Baekhyun who gave him a look, and squeezed his hand. “Where will we be housed?” he asked.

“You will be housed together, if that is your worry. My primary focus is your PTSD. After that we will work on your codependency.”

That answer seemed to satisfy Baekhyun which meant it satisfied Jongin. He glanced up at the therapist and gave her a half-smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re new room assignments have been sent to your dossier. After you move your belongings there, please report to the medical ward to get your first doses. More about those will be explained by your primary care doctor.”

 

Together they made their way to their old room and hesitated. Jongin faced Baekhyun, unsure of what was in store for them now. They’d returned to the station, were supposedly getting the help they needed, but something was still bothering Jongin. He started to say something but Baekhyun’s palm caressed his cheek.

“I miss how we used to be. Before we were scared all the time,” he said and Jongin’s heart broke into a million pieces.

“Me too,” he replied. “Maybe the medicine will help?”

The doubt in Baekhyun’s eyes went unhidden and contrasted by his words. “Yeah, it should.” He glanced away as he opened the door and walked inside, leaving Jongin standing in the hallway.

Times like these made Jongin long for the comfort of his bed back home. But he knew now that if he went earth-side, his bed would be nothing but a mattress and home would be nothing but a house. Baekhyun was his home now, and if he wanted to stay on the station, then Jongin wasn’t going to be far behind.

“What should we pack?” Baekhyun asked, his voice breaking the silence.

Jongin looked around. He understood the unsaid words that hung in the air.  _ What could they bring that wouldn’t remind them of that mission _ ? A shiver ran down Jongin’s spine. He stepped closer to Baekhyun, the door shutting behind them and closing them in darkness.

Baekhyun’s hand shot out towards him, gripping his wrist so tightly Jongin’s fingers almost went numb. How could he have forgotten the light? “Baek–”

“Don’t leave me, please,” Baekhyun whispered. His grip loosened as he slid his palm into Jongin’s lacing their fingers together. “Don’t move. Just stand there.”

Jongin didn’t need to ask questions at this point. He knew Baekhyun’s fear of the dark was bad, but he didn’t know how deep it ran until now. Baekhyun had been his rock, his pillar on the planet and Jongin wanted to return the favor. When the darkness settled on them, Jongin wanted to be the one to chase it all away. He wanted to be Baekhyun’s sanctuary. Just like Baekhyun was for him.

Slowly, Baekhyun turned to face Jongin, eyes impossibly wide in the dim light of their room. His breathing was haggard and his lips were parted and dry. But to Jongin he was still just as amazing as he’d ever been.

They stood facing each other. Ragged bursts of air disrupting the loud beating of their hearts. Jongin stepped closer, placing a foot between Baekhyun’s and resting his chin on his shoulder. They were both still too thin, bones jutting where their hips met and each knob of their spines easy to feel beneath the skin. 

“I love you,” Baekhyun whispered, pulling back and tilting his face up.

“I love you, too,” Jongin breathed.

Their noses brushed before their lips met fleetingly. It felt almost foreign to Jongin. But at the same time it sent pleasant sparks across Jongin’s chest. He chanced another touch, this time more forceful and Baekhyun yielded easily, sighing into Jongin’s mouth.

“Can we?” Baekhyun asked. His eyes were still wide, but instead of fear there was a tiny spark of the old him. The Baekhyun he’d been back in the bunker. The one who made Jongin’s heart skip a beat with a single smile. He was still in there, and that meant that there was hope.

For an answer, Jongin kissed him again. Maybe everything would be okay after all. As long as they had each other, he knew he could get through this.


	29. Deleted Scene 6: August 19th, 20XX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days after Jongin gives his eulogy, something amazing happens. And then shit hits the fan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, you don't have to read these if you don't want to. After I finish posting all of these, I will start on the transitional fic that takes place between W1 and the sequel which I will reveal is going to be named after the planet Luyten b. Anyway, these were scenes I had initially planned for this fic but pulled them from the outline as I was writing because I felt they would change the nature of the fic or were more along the lines of filler. Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoy them!
> 
> Happy reading~

# August 19th, 20XX

* * *

 

It only took a week for a miracle to happen. A week of sleeping in the out-patient care wing. A week of Jongin and Baekhyun taking turns to go back to their room to shower, change, and bring food while the other sat on watch. A week of endless nights going over the that last log over and over, trying to follow where Kyungsoo’s eyes had been trained on. A week for him to wake up.

The first sign was a fluttering of his eyelids. It happened just as Baekhyun was returning with fresh blankets and an extra pillow. Jongin thought he’d imagined it at first, but then it happened again.

“Babe, hurry. He’s waking up!” Jongin said, rising to his feet and climbing on the edge of the bed.

The blankets and pillows dropped from Baekhyun’s hands as he ran to the other side of the bed and hopped on. He took one of Kyungsoo’s hands in his own and warmed them while Jongin continued to stare at his face intently and quietly praying that his eyes would finally open.

Five long minutes went by before Kyungsoo’s fingers twitched in Baekhyun’s palms, making him jump and spurring Jongin to grab the other.

“Come on, come on, come on,” Jongin whispered. His heart was beating erratically as Kyungsoo’s eyes moved beneath his eyelids, making his lashes flutter.

Jongin glanced over at Baekhyun, eyes wide and then blindly reached for his hand. He needed him more than ever. When he felt Baekhyun’s digits slide into place between his, his heart rate slowed down just a bit. Baekhyun always comforted him in his time of need.

Kyungsoo stirred between them, a small groan leaving his nearly healed lips. There was a tiny scar just under his left eye and another just above his lip. They were nearly faded, but the centers were still pink. Perhaps to an outsider they’d look insignificant, but to both Jongin and Baekhyun, they were reminders of the horrors of that planet. They still never knew what Kyungsoo had gone through but now they had a chance.

“Do you think he’s gonna wake up?” Baekhyun asked, giving Jongin’s hand a comforting squeeze.

As if he’d heard him, Kyungsoo’s eyes shot open. He stared at the ceiling between their heads, eyes out of focus before he blinked and swallowed thickly. It was silent for a long time before Kyungsoo finally spoke. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“We could never–”

The door slammed open, cutting Jongin’s words off and several men and women wearing high security dark uniforms and holding guns filed into the room. The sounds of their boots reminded Jongin of the pounding on the door back in the bunker. It made his skin crawl.

“Dr. Do Kyungsoo you are under arrest by the galactic federation of–”

Jongin whirled on the speaker. How could they barge in like this? Kyungsoo had only said a single sentence and now the room was brimming with security officials and guns. Lots of guns.

“He  _ just _ woke up! What are you doing?”Jongin screamed. He was beginning to panic.

“SS SM on three counts of manslaughter for the victims Lu Han, Lim Hosung, and Park Jungmin. Anything you say can and will be used –”

“Jongin, I think we should leave.” Baekhyun said in a low whisper. He looked at Jongin, surprise draining his face of color, and hand stilled over Jongin’s arm protectively. Despite the confident look on his face, Jongin could still see the hint of apprehension turning the corners of his mouth down.

Jongin jumped to his feet, standing over Kyungsoo while the rest of the security pressed closer to the bed. Two men approached, guns in hand and pointed at Kyungsoo. One of them made eye contact with Jongin and gestured with his gun for Jongin to move. Jongin remained rooted. He and Baekhyun had spent months worried about Kyungsoo. He was not about to let him be ripped away before they even got to talk.

“Out of the way! We do not want to use force!” One of the guards shouted, brandishing the gun again. 

Jongin planted his foot, eyes wide, but did not move. On the other side of the bed, Baekhyun slowly rounded the foot, arms raised and stood next to Jongin. His hands were trembling, but his look said he was prepared for the worse.

It was a standoff of scientists (and one engineer) versus fifteen men and women trained to protect and serve. No one moved and no one said anything for a few tense moments. The air was thick, thick enough that Jongin felt like he was breathing through a blanket.

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo said at last. He slowly sat up on the bed and placed his hands in his lap. “I expected as much.”

That seemed to set everyone in motion. The security guards started to surround the bed, shoving Jongin and Baekhyun but they remained firm. This wasn’t fair. Kyungsoo had just came into consciousness, this couldn’t be legal. Not that Jongin was familiar with security protocols, but shouldn’t a person get a few days after what they had been through? Kyungsoo probably had PTSD as bad as he and Baekhyun did. It all just felt so wrong.

“But we didn’t even get to talk!” Jongin argued as one of the guards pried his hands off the sheets.

Kyungsoo stared at him. The swelling in his face was still there. He still had fading bruises and cuts. He didn’t say another word, but instead gave Jongin a nod and lifted his wrists while one of the guards slapped manacles on him. He was being strangely calm about this whole thing.

The guard who had initially yelled at Jongin, shoulder-checked him into Baekhyun, while the men helped Kyungsoo from the bed and led him out of the room. He could hear the timbre Kyungsoo speaking, but not clear enough to hear what he was saying as the guards filed out. Then Baekhyun and Jongin were alone. 

Jongin sank to his knees, breathing heavily and feeling the beginnings of a panic attack coming on. They just took him like that. The only other person who had survived the ordeal. It was why Jongin felt so connected to him. Kyungsoo had been through the horrors and now they were taking him into isolation. Jongin braced himself on the ground, fingers splayed and digging into the smooth surface. He was so close to breaking down but then Baekhyun’s touch on his back pulled him out of the spiral. 

“Oh my god, what do we do now?” Jongin asked, trying to inhale through his nose and exhale out his mouth on Baekhyun’s quiet count. They’d learned this from the sessions.

Baekhyun continued rubbing his hand on Jongin’s back and then after a few more circles he helped Jongin to his feet and sat him on the bed. Cupping his face, he stared deeply into Jongin’s eyes.

“For now we mind our business. We continued going to therapy. We continue our reintegration. You go to your lectures. I’ll go to mine. We have to show the station that we are not a liability and that we are getting better. Remember last night when you told me you wanted to lead your own mission? Well there are a lot of steps we need to take before that. When the time comes, we will speak to Kyungsoo about what happened. It could be tomorrow or it could be a year from now. But in the meantime, we  _ have _ to get better, okay?”

Jongin covered Baekhyun’s hands with his own and pulled them to his lap. “You’re right.”

“Only because I have to be,” he leaned forward and kissed Jongin’s forehead, it replaced the jitters with warmth. “We’re in this together don’t forget.”

Jongin nodded. No matter how much Jongin spiraled. Baekhyun always found a way to put him back together. Even when he himself was barely holding it together. Baekhyun was strong where Jongin was weak, and Jongin wanted to be strong where Baekhyun was weak. They worked well together, not just for work, but as a unit and Jongin didn’t know what he’d do without him. He was eternally grateful that despite all the strife and pain they had gone through, they still had each other.

After a moment, Jongin asked, “Do you think there will be a trial?” They couldn’t just imprison Kyungsoo without giving him a chance to speak.

Baekhyun sighed. “Unfortunately it might be the biggest one SS SM has ever had.”

That meant the media would get involved. Jongin and Baekhyun had been able to avoid most of it by staying on the station. He’d seen the reports that those earth side had been given and that was hardly any information at all. Hell, he avoided giving his parents too much information. But a trial would reveal it all. Especially one like this.

Jongin set his jaw. “Then we’ll be called as witnesses.”

He didn’t want to have to live through it all. While the blockers had done wonders for his recovery, Jongin wasn’t ready to go off them just yet. But he’d need to in order to give his testimony. And so would Baekhyun. 

He glanced at Baekhyun, seeing that he was thinking the same thing. They’d gotten this close that words were often not needed. Baekhyun wore his emotions in his eyes while Jongin on his sleeves. 

Carefully, Baekhyun took Jongin’s hands in his and sighed, “I know.”

It seemed like the battle just wasn’t quite over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The last deleted scene! I have started on Gliese, which is the story that takes place before the official sequel. I hope you all enjoyed the journey with me, it's been amazing. This story is so dear to my heart and it will remain there forever. Thank you for your support and love. I could not have gotten this far without you ^^


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